Fly like a Rock
by InfiniteDragon
Summary: Six years post-war. Toph/Aang Centric. There will be at least one lemon. Character death, both in-story and referred to. It's not gruesome, but not a kiddy story either. Flame me all you want, but I'd rather have constructive feedback. :
1. Chapter 1, 2: New Tale, Jumping to the

_**A/N**: _Please be aware that while I like to think I'm a decent (if not good) author, this is my first Fanfic. It may suck, I just don't know. I am always happy for reviews and comments, criticism (constructive or otherwise, though the former is preferred), etc etc.

As of this first posting, I am finished up through Chapter 13, and will be adding more throughout the next week or so as I get it written/betaed.

**First, final, and only warning:** This is a Aang/Toph-centric, quite lemony, not-for-children fic. At least some of it. I will probably (if I remember) note before any lemon the same thing. If not... consider yourself warned.

Also... I don't own Avatar: The last Airbender, Aang, Toph, Zuko, or any other characters in this story. I don't even really want to- I believe this characters are better handled by the original creators than myself. This fic was written for fun, I am receiving no compensation for it, etc etc. Please don't sue my sorry butt back to... wherever it was I sprang from. I have no money anyway.

One last thing, then the story- Taang is not my favorite pairing, nor will it ever be. However, there is something about it that doesn't curl my toes in horror, and the idea doesn't work for Kataang, so... here we are. Enjoy, or whatnot.

_**--**_

_**Fly like a Rock**_

**Chap. 1 A new tale begins**

The boy woke to the sound of his best friend's screaming.

"Toph? Toph, are you OK?" he asked, worried. But he knew what was wrong.

It had been six years since... since that day. Since the Fire Lord and his daughter fell. They'd had six years of 'peace', but for the heroes, the once who'd almost single-handedly saved the world, there wasn't any real peace to be had.

Sokka was dead. Zuko, the new Fire Lord, had turned the new Fire Nation into another version of Ba Sing Se, and claimed he wanted nothing to do with the outside world, that the Fire Nation had done too much harm and would withdraw for one hundred years to 'let the world heal', as he put it. With him were Mei and Ty Lee, and his Uncle Iroh. Katara, devastated by the loss of her older brother, had retreated to the South Pole and refused to see anyone outside of her tribe. Rumor had it that she was training a new generation of Benders alongside her old master.

That left... just Aang and Toph. Well, and Appa... and Momo. But as amazing as Aang's other friends were, they couldn't help the girl... no... she wasn't a girl anymore. Just like he wasn't a boy. They were eighteen now, most girls Toph's age would have been married years ago. Still... during the nights like this, she seemed so much more like the child she'd been than the strong, beautiful, and _powerful_ woman she was now.

Aang looked over at the girl, wondering for the millionth time what it was that terrified her so. She'd fought against overwhelming odds right along with the rest of them, and shown no fear at all. She'd faced down against the two hundred Dai Li agents under Azula's control, and beaten ever single one. The sheer numbers had made her work for it, but she'd escaped injury, which is more than could be said for them. Most of them would never Bend again, if they ever woke up. He wasn't sure if she'd been cruel or merciful to them. On the one hand, killing them would certainly have been a harsh thing to do. Most of them simply didn't know they had a choice besides following orders. On the other... life without Bending for a Bender was... not easy. Aang had tried it for a year, just to see if he could. He'd lasted... what, three days?

Toph's thrashing was starting to calm, and Aang finally felt safe enough to scoot his bedroll over to lay beside her. He placed one tattooed hand on her forehead, running his fingers through her shaggy, black hair, and the other on her muscled stomach. He blushed a little at the action, but knew he had no choice. The first time he'd done it, he'd turned beet red, and Katara, even in the midst of her grief, had laughed. But Guru Patik had taught his student well. The Chakra flow throughout the young Earthbender's body began to even and straighten out under his care, his own steady energy reinforcing the desperate waverings of Toph's. A few minutes later, the last of her whimperings had faded, and she was dreaming about normal things, not whatever it was that terrified her so. With a sigh, Aang laid back in his bedroll, trying not to think of everything that had gone wrong.

_We weren't supposed to lose Sokka. That changed everything. Suki retired, joined a monastary. Katara... Zuko... even Toph, no one's the same now that he's gone. And even the Avatar's helpless to bring back the dead. I could go find his Spirit in the Spirit World, but what good would that do? I still don't even know how to enter that world on my own. Some Avatar I turned out to be._

The string of self-loathing continued for hours, until he finally drifted off back to sleep just as the sky began to brighten with the early onset of dawn.

**Chap. 2 Jumping to the wrong conclusion**

The girl woke earlier than usual, something warm, almost hot, pressed against her on all sides. She opened her eyes- she could feel it- but only saw the same blackness she always did. She took a deep breath, and the echoes from the world around here came back, filling in the information she'd been looking for. Aang was in her bedroll!

No, that's not it. His roll was longer than hers. And she could feel hers... over there? What had happened? She had climbed into _his?_ It seemed impossible... but there was no way the slight young man could have pulled her out of her bag without waking her, no way at all. Her face crimson, she tried to disentangle herself from her last friend without waking him, but he stirred slightly and then woke. She couldn't see his blush, but she could hear his heart begin to race, his breathing catch and then pick up at a faster, shallower pace as well. He was blushing. But why? Aang liked Katara, not her. And... why was she blushing too? She liked... no... she couldn't even think his name.

"What do you think you're doing, Twinkletoes? How'd you get me out of my bed and into yours, you _jerk_!" she ended with a yell and a punch to his ribs that sent him flying. He ripped straight through the bindings in his bedroll and slammed into the earth tent's wall. Jumping to her feet, she pushed the walls of the tent back into the ground and got into her combat stance, expecting him to retaliate. But he didn't get up. He didn't stir at all.

"Aang?"

"Aang!"

There wasn't any reply, no response at all. And she could hear his breath slowing, his heartbeat was fading fast.

"Aang! Dammit Aang, don't do this! Don't die on me!" she screamed, running toward him as fast as the earth could carry her. Appa, awake now, lowed with is deep rumbling voice, and began walking toward them, Momo still asleep on his head.

When she reached him, Toph knelt over the boy and began to feel around for any damage. She couldn't feel any major breaks in his bones, they echoed as firm as they ever had, but on the back of his head... her fingers came back wet. And she could smell copper... blood. What had she _done_? "Oh Aang, I'm so sorry..." as tenderly as she could, she lifted the young man onto the platform on Appa's back and climbed aboard his head where Aang usually sat.

_We aren't too far from the Misty Swamp. Maybe Yu can heal him. Yu _has_ to heal him. I hope Appa can find him._

"Appa, yip yip!"

At first, Aang watched Toph's reaction to the fact that he wasn't moving with amusement. Then it hit him... he wasn't in his body. His own features had taken on the bluish tint he'd come to associate with himself in the Spirit World. He could hear Toph's worried calls, but she sounded distant, tinny, like she would through one of Sokka's crazy wire-talkers. He watched her call out his name over and over, heard the girl command him not to die, but couldn't make himself heard. Desperately, he tried to climb back into his body, but found the way blocked. Something... was keeping him out. Unable to do anything but watch, Aang watched Toph gently pick him up, place him on Appa's back and climb aboard, her empty eyes staring vaguely to the west. He heard her call out "Yip yip!" and the Bison took off, with one last glance at the spirit of the boy he'd grown up with.

There was nothing else to do, he supposed, he'd have to go after her. But he couldn't Bend in the Spirit World, so he'd have to go on foot. Even if she hadn't taken his body with her, Aang knew he'd have to follow wherever Toph went. She needed him. No one else could calm the nightmares.

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A/N 2: Please don't forget to respond/review if you enjoyed it. My biggest problem as an author, I believe, is that I can't get anyone to give me an honest opinion. If I suck, tell me so. (And suggest ways to get better). If I'm awesome, tell me what in particular is good. Thanks for reading, and the rest will be up shortly, I will be posting all chapters I have written tonight.

Also: For those that believe it unlikely for Toph to be able to severely injure Aang, let me posit this: Firstly, Aang trusts Toph implicitly, and would not anticipate an attack from her. Secondly, Toph is quite powerful (both in physical strength and Bending) and when lashing out in anger/fear/etc, could quite easily knock an unprepared person a few feet. Lastly, accidents happen. No, she didn't intend to knock him silly, but she DID hit him and send him flying, he simply struck his head on a rock on the way by. And as I said in the end, thanks for the input, I happen to agree. If I get a couple more notes mentioning the same thing, I will tone down the speed. I just need a bigger reason to do the work. :D


	2. Chapter 3, 4: Misty Swamp, More lessons

**Chap. 3 Return to the Misty Swamp**

"Yu! Yu!" Toph began to call as soon as she felt Appa descending. She knew they were still far to high to actually be heard, but her desperation was reaching it's peak... Aang had only breathed once in the last minute. "Faster Appa! Hurry! We have to find him!" Needing no further urging, the tired Sky Bison hurled them toward the swamp, heading almost straight toward the center of the Banyan Grove.

Toph had heard the story of how the swamp had shown Aang a vision of herself when he'd been searching for an Earthbending Master to teach him, and had laughed it off for a long time. But three years ago, when they'd returned to visit the Swampbenders, she'd had something of a vision herself, and no longer laughed.

_That's right. I saw... really _saw, _myself. And someone else. But how does a blind girl see? And who was that other person? Why can't I remember? Bah, it doesn't matter. I just have to find Yu. He's a good Waterbender, he has to be able to help Aang._

"Toph? Appa? What're you all doin' here? Where's Aang, that arrow-kid?" she heard a voice ask. They'd been trudging around the swamp for almost an hour, but the murky water and muddy ground blinded her Earthbending senses almost as badly as the sand in the desert had done, and she'd been unable to find the village.

"Shut yer mouth, Du, caint you see the Avatar's on the Bison? What's wrong, Toph?"

"Fo? Du? Is that you?" she asked, truly scared now. It'd been almost two minutes now since she'd heard Aang breath.

"Whewee, you got him here just in time, little lady," Yu said almost an hour later. Here in the village, there was higher, firmer ground, and Toph was grateful that she could 'see' at last. She felt the older man wipe sweat from his brow as he walked out of the hut and sat down next to her on the ground. "He's gonna be jist fine. Might take a few days to get him on his feet again, but that hit to his head aint gon kill the Avatar."

His wise old eyes slowly moved over to the young woman, taking in her posture and bearing. She usually sat so firmly, so rooted, that he felt like he wouldn't be able to move her position with a thousand gallons of swamp water. But today she was huddled up, holding her knees up under her chin, shaking with suppressed tension. With a sigh, he placed his big, calloused hand gently in the center of her back and began to work it in circles.

"You wanna talk 'bout it?"

She grunted out a no, but he barely heard it over the noise of the small village and the swamp around them.

"Be easier if you did. You're the one that hurt him, aint ya?" he said quietly, and felt her shaking freeze suddenly under his hand, then start up again worse than ever.

"Yeah, I thought so. Listen, Toph, I may not know much, but there's a couple things I do know. You wouldn't hurt him on purpose, and he wouldn't hurt you. In fact, if I had to guess, I'd say he'd be more likely to hurt that other Waterbender... Kata? Kitari? Whatever he name was. The pretty one, from the Southern Tribe. Anyway... he'd be more likely to hurt her than you, and he had a huge crush on her back in the day."

When Toph didn't respond, the old man stood with a groan and wandered off into the village looking for something to eat.

"Sokka? Is that really you?" Aang asked, surprised. He hadn't expected to see the dark-skinned warrior's spirit wandering around the fringes of the Misty Swamp, but there he was. Or... was he? As Aang got closer, the spirit turned to face him, but faded away into the mist like he'd never been.

_This is just like the first time... but I'm in the Spirit World. What's going on?_

As the Avatar continued to trudge through the muck- which was just as omnipresent in the Spirit World version of the swamp as the real world- he had plenty of time to muse on it, but found no answer. It was almost like Sokka really didn't want to talk to him. The look he'd flashed in his direction before he'd faded away had been... angry. Accusatory. And Aang was sure he knew why. It was his fault the warrior had died. If he'd taken out Azula two seconds earlier, her final blast wouldn't have struck the young man in the face, wouldn't have melted... no... stop thinking about that. He'd fought as hard as he could. Azula was just too strong to take out any sooner.

As near as he could tell, Aang was still almost a half day's walk from the village when he saw Sokka's ghost again. But this time it didn't fade away when he approached. Instead, he fixed the Avatar with a cold, dark glare and drew his sky-stone sword, holding it at the ready. Aang grinned, thinking it was some kind of game, or that Sokka wanted training for whatever reason, until he heard the spirit speak.

"You betrayed her. She loved you, and you betrayed her! How could you!"

His eyes wide, without a clue what Sokka was talking about, Aang barely leapt out of the way in time. Instinctively, he tried to launch himself high up into a tree before realizing that he couldn't bend here. But he was certain that sword could still hurt him.

"Sokka, stop! What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about Katara, you bastard! You kissed her, you stole her heart and then you _left her_ right after I died! She needed you more than ever, and you _left_! Six years she's been waiting for you to come back, and you never came!" as he yelled, Sokka's ghost scrambled through the mud and slime toward Aang, who was both horrified and furious.

"I didn't leave her, she left me! She wouldn't speak to anyone after you died, she didn't even say goodbye! It's _not my fault_!" he cried out at last, throwing himself to the left to avoid what would have been a lethal thrust. Sokka's swordsmanship had come a long way since he'd met up with the Fire Nation man who'd both forged the Skyearth Sword with Sokka's help and taught him how to use it. He wasn't a master swordsman by any means, but he was more than capable of dealing with one unarmed boy who couldn't Bend... and Aang knew it. He couldn't keep dodging forever, eventually Sokka would connect, and Aang would... be reincarnated. Toph would have no one.

But the Avatar is nothing if not wise. And so he ran, deeper into the swamp, the ghost of one of his best friends chasing after him.

**Chap. 4 More lessons to be learned**

"Come on now, little missy," Fo said the next day, "you gots to eat something. We got a nice eaglesnake this mornin, tasty eatin'." the short, heavyset man's voice didn't do much to pierce through the haze of regret and self-hatred Toph was experiencing. After a few minutes of silence, she felt him walk back toward the main part of the village, leaving her to sit in peace. Or at least, to sit in quiet. She didn't think there was any peace left in her. She'd almost killed her only friend, and the only reason was pride. She hadn't wanted to admit... to admit that... _dammit what is wrong with me? Fine! I give up! He's cute, all right? Most girls would faun over him. They do, in fact. What difference does that make to me? I can't even see! I can't tell him he's good looking, I can't make him laugh like Katara does... did... I can't... I'm worthless. If he knew what I dream about every night, he'd laugh and tell me I was crazy. I can't even protect him. He's the _Avatar_. He doesn't need me at all. I should just let him go wander the world... or something. Stop tying him down. Stop slowing him down._

One Swampbender saw her get up silently and walk into the swamp, but he just sighed and asked the great tree to watch where she went, and keep an eye out for her.

_Well, here's the village, but where Toph? There's Appa, she's gotta be around here somewhere._

One great brown eye followed the Avatar's spirit as he wandered through the village looking for somone. The Bison wasn't sure exactly, but he had the feeling he was looking for the green one. The one that laughed so loudly it hurt his ears. With a sniff, the bison raised his head, but couldn't smell any traces newer than that morning. Still tired from the rush to reach the village, the Bison laid his head back down and closed his eyes. His partner was back, he'd take care of it. Appa only had to take care of the hot little bundle who's long tail was wrapped around one of his fingers.

"Hey, my body!" Aang exclaimed when he'd found the hut that Yu used for healing. Cautiously, he tried climbing back in again, unsure if it would work. To his pleasure, the obstruction from before was gone, and he slipped back into himself with ease.

"Appa, c'mere boy! Momo! Toph!" he called out, glad that they'd be able to hear him at last. He heard the Bison's tired snuffle and rushed outside to be greeted by the wettest lick he'd had in years. Laughing, the young man hugged the great beast's head and climbed aboard, where he was suddenly assaulted by the lithe, white form of Momo. The lemur was, as usual, scrambling in and out of his clothes at once, looking for any scrap of food he could find.

"Hey guys, glad to see you too. Where's Toph?" he looked around, expecting to see her nearby now that he'd called, but only saw the few Swampbenders who stayed in the village during the day, and the old man named Yu walking toward the small group.

"Hey Yu, what's up?" Aang asked, chuckling like he always did at the pun.

Smiling, the old man croaked, "Just glad you're feeling better, Avatar. The young lady was very worried when she brought you in. Another ten minutes or so and I don't know if I could have kept you alive."

"Toph? Where'd she go?"

The old Plantbender's eyes flicked off into the swamp, but he didn't answer immediately. "Come with me, Aang. We need to have a little talk. Appa and Momo will be fine there."

Without waiting for a response, the old man began walking across the village and toward the Banyan Grove a few miles away.

"OK, Yu, what's going on? Where's Toph?"

"Before I tell you, Avatar, we need to talk. Have a seat."

Reluctantly, the young man sat down on the same knob of ancient wood he'd rested on so many years ago when he'd learned how to sense the connections of life between all things. He sighed and closed his eyes, resuming his usual meditative stance.

"You catch on quick, I do have something to teach you. But we should chat first, I think," the old man said with a chuckle, "She's... not normal, is she? Your lady friend?"

Try as he might to control it, Aang couldn't stop the blush when he replied, "She's not my girlfriend. She's just a friend."

"Oh, my apologies, mighty Avatar," the man said, chuckling again, "but is she not a lady? And is she not your friend?"

"Yeah... she's my friend, and she is quite a lady." Aang said, thinking back to the first time he'd seen her in person, wearing her fancy day-clothes in her parent's vast yard. "Hey, what do you mean by 'not normal'?" he asked, suddenly annoyed.

"Oh, I just mean... there's something wrong with her. She's scared, and worried, and she doesn't know what to do. That's not like her, that's all I meant."

Aang opened his eyes to stare at his arrowed hands, then pulled his knees up to almost exactly mirror the position Toph had spent the last three days in. It brought another grin to the old man's wrinkled face.

"Yeah... she has nightmares. Every night, it seems. It really messes up her Chakra flow, and I have to straighten it out. Usually she doesn't wake up. But the other morning, she woke up in my bed, I don't know how it happened. When she found out, she... she hit me and knocked me into the tent. I hit my head, and... woke up here."

_Why didn't I tell him the rest? Yu wouldn't tell Katara or Toph about Sokka. Why didn't I tell him?_

"I see," said the old man. He'd noticed the pause, but thought it best not to say anything. "Your other friends don't keep in touch, do they? It's just you and Toph now, right?"

Aang nodded, and Yu continued, "Well, it's hard to say goodbye to those you love. Maybe that's what's bothering her. Or maybe it's guilt. I'm sure she's feeling guilt about hitting you. She was really scared that she'd almost killed you, and that's going to take some time to get over."

"She shouldn't be guilty over that," Aang said, "It's my fault if anything. I'm the one that scooted over to take care of her. If I hadn't she wouldn't have moved so close, and..." he trailed off.

"What I'm really trying to say, Aang, is that you need her as much as she needs you. You've spent your life helping other people, at least since you woke up in the iceberg. I think, now that the world's at peace, you need someone you can take care of, some good you can do, or you just don't feel like yourself. Now, Toph's a very strong girl, and she can take care of herself, but there's more than one kind of need. You understand?"

Not quite sure he did, Aang nodded anyway, but the old man seemed satisfied.

"All right then. You know how to sense the life throughout the tree. You can Waterbend. Now put the two together. Bend that branch there."

It seems that Avatar's journey to master all the Bending disciplines wasn't over quite yet.


	3. Chapter 5, 6: Growing together, haunting

**Chap. 5 Growing together**

Toph was tired. She was dirty. And she hated it. Normally, the girl loved being surrounded by dirt and earth. She called it a 'healthy glow' when dust poured off her with every step. But this dirt was entirely different. It wasn't so much mud and dirt as... the... leavings... of every living thing, both plant and animal, in the swamp. And it was disgusting. It stunk. And it got _everywhere_. She could bend it, just barely, much like she bent metal. There were fragments of earth everywhere, if you knew how to look. And like that old Plantbender, she could use those to move a much larger, even non-earth object. She just didn't care enough to try. With a sob, the girl collapsed against a tree root, wrapping her arms around it like a sailor grasps a chunk of driftwood at sea.

"_That's it," Katara was saying, pleased that the other girl had caught on quickly. The lessons she'd been giving the other girl were far from her favorite subject matter, but there was no one else to teach her, and to be honest, Toph asked Katara for advice and help rarely enough that she was truly glad to help her with such an important thing._

"_Just remember, it's perfectly normal. Every twenty-eight days, more or less. We're taught that it represents the Moon Spirit- Yue's- sacrifice to Waterbenders everywhere. I know that's not what the other tribes teach, but women everywhere have the same problem. My mother and grangran were both convinced it has something to do with children and pregnancy, but I just don't know for sure."_

"_Does... am I... pregnant?" Toph asked, suddenly terrified._

_Katara laughed, the happy sound bringing intense relief to the other girl, "No, Toph, you aren't pregnant. That's caused by... something else. It just means that you _can_ become pregnant now, that' s all."_

_They were standing waist deep in a cold mountain stream. Sokka and Aang had left to go buy supplies and wouldn't be back for another day or two. All in all, it was about the perfect time for the two girls to have this discussion, there was almost no danger of any male intruding. Katara was wearing her white swim outfit, and Toph was wearing nothing, even her omnipresent headband had been left on the side of the river._

"_So... I could? How do I know if I am?" Toph asked, a little embarrassed at her naivete. Still, Katara had been nothing but understanding when she'd come to her earlier that day, worried that she'd somehow injured herself, not knowing where the blood was flowing from._

"_You... your mother never told you?" Katara asked, very unwilling to have 'the talk' with the boisterous tomboy. Still, it wasn't like she had anyone else._

"_He does _what_?" she screamed, and Katara sighed again. Toph had done just fine when she'd been explaining the anatomical differences between the genders. Most of it she knew just by 'feel'. She'd turned a little red when the older girl explained where, exactly, babies came from. But how they were concieved... maybe she was just too young to really understand._

"_Listen, Toph, I know it sounds weird. And it probably is. But everyone does it, apparently, so it can't be that bad. I mean... neither of us would be here if our parent's hadn't-"_

"_LA LA LA I can't HEAR YOU!" Toph said, slamming her hands over her ears._

There were tears running across the girls face, but she was grinning. That was one of the only times she'd ever had the chance to really bond with the Waterbender. It was that two days that allowed her to understand what Sokka had meant when they'd been talking about Katara being everyone's surrogate mother a couple of days before the Day of Black Sun. She really had been both a mother and an older sister, and Toph missed her terribly. Almost as much as she missed... missed... _damn it I'm so pathetic!Why can't I just say it? I miss Sokka! _

Again, the Earthbender began to sob, once more falling into a dream about the past.

_She was drowning. Her friends were all just a little distance above her, she could still hear them even with the crash of the waves caused by the great Serpent thrashing around in combat, but Aang and Katara were too focused on the fight to realize she'd been knocked into the water, and she had no earth to bend._

_Then suddenly, there was a splash directly above her. Could it be? She felt warm, strong hands grab her underneath her arms, and powerful strokes churning the water around her as she was lifted slowly to the surface. The person who'd jumped in after her was hard, firm. Strong. Just like him. Was it...?She took one great gasp of air as she broke the surface, and spun in her savior's arms. "Oh Sokka, you saved me!" then gave him a swift kiss of thanks on the cheek._

"_Ah-actually, it's me." she heard Suki's voice say, a twinge of embarrassment evident._

"_Oh... well... uh..." Toph replied, turning away, her own face heating up, "you can go ahead and let me drown now."_

"Toph? Hey, Toph! Are you... Toph, what's wrong?"

When she came to at last, there was an earth tent around her, one side open. She could smell salt on the air, and heard the crashing of waves on rock far below. About thirty feet away, Aang sat on an outcropping, staring out to sea. Appa was nowhere she could hear, which meant he was in the air or water, and Momo was scrabbling in the pile of supplies next to the tent. Tentatively, she felt her clothing and skin, because something was... off. She didn't feel quite like herself.

Unable to put her finger on it, she shrugged and stepped out of the tent, causing it to sink into the ground. Aang must have heard it, but he didn't move as the girl walked over and sat down beside him.

"Hey," he said, but made no other movement.

"Hey," Toph responded, but like him, continued to gaze blankly toward the horizon. At least, she thought she was.

An hour passed before either of them worked up the courage to speak again.

"Aang, I-"

"Toph-"

Both turned red, but Aang recovered first, "Ladies first, you go ahead."

The Earthbender was quiet for another few minutes, but eventually asked, "Why did you come after me?"

"Why wouldn't I come after you? We're friends, aren't we?" his confusion evident by his tone.

When she didn't reply, he continued, "Toph? What's really bothering you? Is it... him? I know you miss him a lot. I do too."

_I should. I do. But that's not what the real problem is, is it?_

"I guess. Hey... have I ever woken you up at night?"

"Well, yeah. Some. Why do you ask?"

She knew he was lying. It wasn't 'some'. It was every night. Still... it was nice of him to say so.

"No reason. I'm sorry I keep you from sleeping. If you want... I can go back home, and you might be able to sleep at night."

"No way," he said, laughing, "I'm so used to you being there, if you left I wouldn't sleep for a month. An hour or so a night's nothing."

His face turned serious, but it was the change in tone that caused Toph to tense up, "That's what I wanted to ask you. It's... it's OK if you don't want to tell me, I'm just... I've been wondering what it is that wakes you up every night. You seem so scared, but nothing freaks you out when you're awake. That's why I think it's... him."

The black-haired girl sighed, and answered, "It's been six years now, Aang. I miss him, but we can't keep dancing around it forever. Sokka, Sokka, Sokka. He's gone, and avoiding the issue isn't going to make it hurt less. You can say it."

"It is, then, isn't it?" Aang said, and Toph couldn't undestand why he seemed so sad about it.

"Yeah, sometimes. Not usually, though. I don't want to talk about it, though. They're just dreams." She folded her hands behind her head and plopped backwards, using the energy from the impact to reform the ground into a smooth, hard surface to lay back on. He joined her a moment later, staring up into the sky.

"Hey Aang?" she asked a while later. The sun was getting low, but the sky didn't yet show any orange or yellow.

"Hmm?" he asked, coming back from a light doze suddenly.

"What do clouds look like?"

_What?_

"Well... they're fluffy, and white, and... oh." he gave a sheepish grin, and she smiled as well. He thought about It a little more, and continued, "You know how a pillow feels? Or a fluffy sheep? Or Appa when he's clean? It's kind of like that. Rounder, and very wet. But you can't tell it's wet from looking. It's just like a breath of water in the sky. I don't know, I'm not very good at explaining."

"You explained it just fine," Toph said, her eyes closed at last, "if only everything else was so easy to understand."

**Chap. 6 Haunting past**

"Toph?" Aang asked a few days later. They were flying away from the Eastern Air Temple. The oldest man alive, Guru Patik, had died two days before, and Aang had felt him leave the world. They'd gone as fast as Appa could take them to take care of his old sifu's remains, but then they'd arrived, they found only a letter addressed to Aang, there was no sign of the ancient human.

"_Aang. Don't forget. Only by letting it all go can you receive everything. My only regret is not having one more meal of banana soup."_

When Aang had read it to Toph, she had been confused, but he seemed to know what it meant, so she thought little of it.

"Yeah, Aang? What's up?" she yelled. He was far forward, sitting on Appa's head as usual, and she was nearly twenty feet away at the back of the saddle. It was new, Appa had finally reached full size and was almost forty feet long from snout to tail. The lower area alone was bigger than the old saddle they'd used on their journey around the world, but this saddle had a raised area around the edge for seating, and enclosed storage space beneath, so there was no danger of objects becoming lost by a sudden gust.

"I think we need to go see Katara."

_Did he really say that? After six years of not speaking to us, he wants to go see her? I can't say I would mind, but... would she even recognize us?_

Aang vanished from her perception for a moment, then appeared a few feet away from her. He must have jumped backward to hear better.

"Did you hear me? I said we should go visit Katara."

"Are... are you sure? It's been so long..." Toph muttered, and Aang had to strain to hear her over the rush of wind. He plopped himself down next to her and replied, "Yeah. It's been too long, I think. What you said yesterday just got me thinking. I mean... you really had a thing for Sokka," he said, looking away so he didn't have to see her ears turn pink, "and if you're OK with talking about him now, then Katara should be too.

"I guess. You're the Avatar," she said, waving her hands around like she did when she didn't really understand, "it's your call. How long will it take us to reach the Southern Water Tribe?"

"Wow!" Aang exclaimed, wonder in his voice. He pointed down at the village, no, the town, below them before sheepishly remembering that Toph couldn't see it anyway.

"It's amazing, Toph. It was just a little huddle of tents before, but now it's like... almost like the north pole! There's so many people!"

The pair heard a distant shout from below as Appa lazily descended, and by the time the group reached the ground, what looked like the entire village had assembled in the center of the encampment to greet them. Aang took Toph's hand and gently helped her down, knowing that she wouldn't be able to see very well. The ice would return echoes just fine, but the snow on the ground would blind her completely. He turned, without noticing that he still held her hand, to see Hakoda and Grangran at the forefront of the group, both smiling widely.

The feast was spectacular, even beating out the massive meal the Northern Water Tribe had provided for their arrival all those years ago. And the food... the food was amazing. That crazy old lady, the Bloodbender, had claimed that Sea Cucumbers tasted just like that slop she'd fed them, but the real thing was so much better.

Aang gave Toph a little nudge, and she felt around for her napkin to dab at her mouth. It was the fourth or fifth time he'd done it, and she couldn't help but be thankful he was being so considerate. She couldn't feel it or see it like normal, so she had no idea if there was food on her mouth or chin, but Aang gave her a light touch each time he noticed,and she was spared the embarrassment of finding out later. There was only one thing wrong with the party...

"We're so glad to see you again, Avatar, Toph. When you dropped my daughter off after the war ended, you left again so suddenly. What happened between you?"

The Earthbender, even blinded by the lack of earth, felt the young man next to her stiffen and heard his heart skip a beat. He still had it for her, had it bad. The girl coughed suddenly, using that as an excuse to wipe the sudden wetness from her eyes.

_What's wrong with me now? I... I love Sokka, not..._

"It's uh... it's... kind of personal," Aang answered, rubbing the back of his shaved head. The crowd around them began to laugh uproariously, all of them had had their suspicions for a long time now.

Casually, slowly, Aang put his arm down, and tried to find Toph's hand underneath the table. Instead, he found the edge of her cold-weather dress, and the soft skin of her thigh. He pulled back when he realized he'd missed, but the damage was done.

Toph shuddered at his touch. He was so gentle, so warm. He was nothing like an Earthbender in his casual movements. But... _What is he doing? What the _hell_, Aang?_

When he jerked his hand back, Toph used the opportunity to stand, and said, "It's been a truly lovely meal, everyone, and I'm very glad we came to visit. I'm quite tired, though, and I'm ready for bed."

She left the room, stumbling against a swell in the icy floor on her way out, but left with all the silent dignity she could muster. Behind her, Aang looked truly scared for the first time in years, and the Water Tribe members were stunned at her abrupt departure.

"So... uh... Hakoda, sir... I've been meaning to ask," Aang began haltingly, "I haven't seen Katara. Is she around?"

Nonplussed at the lack of response, Aang simply waited for an answer, and almost everyone took the sudden buildup of tension as a good queue to leave. In minutes, the communal lodge was empty, the dark-skinned tribesmen and women returning to their own homes. Eventually, only Aang, Grangran, and Hakoda were left.

"She's... here, in the village," Grangran said at last, but Hakoda interrupted, "My daughter isn't the same, Avatar. She helped the Northern Water Benders rebuild our village, but when that task was done... she changed. She's not the same as she used to be."

"What do you mean," the Avatar asked, surprised. He'd never thought that Katara could be different from how he remembered her.

The two older people glanced at each other, and Grangran picked up the tale, her old voice quavering, "She... she feels that you abandoned her to her grief when you left,"

Aang took a breath, getting annoyed and wanting to reply, but the old woman held up her gnarled hand and continued, "I know you were practically chased away, by Katara no less. I'm only telling you what she thinks happened. Some part of her blames you for her brothers death, some part of her knows you did all you could. Both of you did. When you spent the night with her, she-"

"What?!" Hakoda blurted out, reminding Aang forcefully of his son. Grangran gave him a sharp glare, and he quieted down, but continued to cast dark glares in the Avatar's direction while the old woman continued her story, "When you stayed with her, she somehow got it in her head that you were trying to take advantage of her vulnerable position. I'm not sure how it happened, but she never wanted to see you again, that's why she chased you away. And now she claims that you leaving was absolute proof that you never really loved her."

Aang could do nothing but stare, wide-eyed and open-mouthed as she spoke. The same things she'd been telling her grandmother were the same fears that had been plaguing the Avatar for six years.

_That means... it's true. It is my fault. Any chance we had of being together, of being happy, was all my fault. I let Sokka die, I couldn't help heal him, and I took advantage of the one girl I ever loved... and then abandoned her. I'm... I'm a horrible person!_

The despair on his face clued Hakoda in just in time. When Aang leapt to his feet, the older man calmly set his big hand on the Avatar's shoulder and forced him to sit. "You and my daughter were... uh... together? All night?"

Unable to meet his gaze, Aang stared at the remains of the meal before them and nodded once. Hakoda sat back, releasing him, but the boy didn't try to leave again.

"But... you were what, twelve, thirteen? And she was only fifteen?" Hakoda asked, unable to reconcile his view of his daughter as an innocent girl just beginning to explore real love with this new information.

Again, Aang nodded once.

"Hakoda, it's in the past. It doesn't matter anymore. They loved each other dearly then, and some part of them must still. He's the only chance she has, and we need to take it," the withered woman said at last. With a sigh, Hakoda nodded, his now-graying hair waving against his shoulders as he stood.

"Come, Avatar. It's time for you to help our tribe recover from a vicious wound, just like my daughter did for you so many years past."

Just outside the room, Toph turned and ran down the hallway, hot tears streaming down her face.


	4. Chapter 7, 8: Gone, Growing apart

**Chap. 7 Gone for good**

_Is that really Katara? She's so... little._

The form on the bed resembled her, superficially at least. She was taller. The bone structure was almost identical. But the soft roundness, the pleasant features he'd remembered clearly for all this time were gone. Her cheeks were sunken, her eyes stared unseeing at the ceiling. Only the soft rise and fall of her arms on her chest showed that she was alive at all.

"How long?" Aang choked out, kneeling at her side, "How long has she been like this?"

"About two years. For a while... she turned extremely rebellious. She acted a lot like that Prince... the new Fire Lord. Zuko. Lashed out at everyone. Even her old master," Hakoda replied, "then, two years ago, she just suddenly stopped. Stopped fighting, stopped caring about anything. Eventually she stopped eating, drinking. If it weren't for Grangran and the Watebenders, she'd have wasted away long ago. They keep her hydrated, fed, clean. But she never moves, never responds. The best healer in the North Pole was brought down six months ago, but she couldn't find anything wrong. We've about lost hope."

"Maybe... maybe there's something I can do," Aang said, crossing his legs and putting his fists together. The tattooes on his head, neck, and arms began to glow with a soft, white light.

Dawn broke over the Southern Water Tribe village to find almost the entire village gathered again, this time around the small outbuilding they had been using to care for their fallen daughter. The Avatar's glow had subsided nearly an hour before, but neither had stirred since. With the first sliver of shining light struck the dark-haired girl on the bed's face, her eyes shut quickly, and she let out a weak groan. Still, Aang did not move, even when the village began to cheer, chanting his name. "Avatar Aang! Avatar Aang! Avatar Aang!"

Across the village square, the chanting woke another girl. Her face was caked in a thin layer of ice, the tears she'd shed the night before freezing onto her cheeks. _He's done it then, he saved her. I guess they can be together, now. I'm happy for them. Really. _She then pulled the cover of her warm bedroll back around her, the frozen tears being thawed by a rush of new, hot ones.

Throughout the day, one pair of eyes drifted over and over to the small guest hut from their vigil on the thin, wasted girl in the hut he occupied.

"Aang? Is it really you?" Katara said, the first words she'd spoken since she regained consciousness. It was the following day, and he still hadn't seen Toph. He was starting to worry. "Yes, Katara. I'm here. Do you need anything? Some food? Water? Another blanket?"

"No..." she said weakly, then her hand twitched toward him. In a rush, he was at her side again, holding her skeletal hand in his own. She smiled and closed her eyes again.

_She was back in the Spirit World, back with her brother. She'd spent most of the last two years with him, even as she knew her body was wasting away. They'd had a long time to talk, and when Sokka came back from his last attempt to kill the Avatar, Katara had finally decided it was enough._

"_Sokka, it's time to stop," she said quietly. _

_This part of the Spirit World was an odd mix of both the Southern and Northern Water Tribe's lands, which was odd if you thought about it, since it was next to the Spirit World's version of the Misty Swamp, right on the equator. "What do you mean, Katara?" he asked slowly, wiping off the blade of his sword with a clean cloth._

"_It's time to let Aang go. I never told you... I never told you the truth. It's my fault, not his. Don't blame him anymore, OK? Blame me."_

"_That's crazy talk, Katara. You just aren't that cruel, you'd never do something like that to the one you love," he practically snarled out the last._

_She sighed and said, "Sokka, you have no idea how crazy it made me when you died. You werem't just my brother, you were one of my best friends, and another dad all rolled into one. You were so exasperating, and you drove me nuts all the time, but I loved you more than I can say. When you died... I was so desperate to feel _connected _ again that I practically seduced Aang, just to feel something. Then... it wasn't what I expected. He was kind, he was loving, and after a while, it was really nice... but it wasn't there. The connection I wanted. So... I drove him away. I was stupid, I was a fool. But it's my fault, not his."_

_The spirit of her dead brother eventually resheathed his sword and put his hands up in a placating gesture, "All right, all right. I won't go after him anymore. But what about you? You can't keep staying here like this, I can feel him calling you back. You have to either stay or go, you can't... you can't come visit me anymore and stay alive."_

"Aang?" she called, unable to see him. In fact, she couldn't see anything. Katara's eyesight had gone, wasted away like the rest of her.

"I'm here, Katara," he answered, then she heard him snap his fingers and a nearby candle burst into life. There... she could see a little, at least. But she could tell her eyes were really going.

"Aang... I want you to do something for me," she asked, and once again, he was at her side in a flash.

"Whatever you need, Katara. Just ask."

His voice was so earnest, so concerned, it brought a smile to her wan lips. "I want to be buried next to Sokka, if it's not too much trouble."

"What are you talking about, Katara? You're going to be just fine, I'm not going to bury you anytime soon." he said, tears welling in his eyes.

"I want... I want to stay with him. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I used you... and I threw you away, just so I could be with my dead brother. I'm so, so sorry."

"What... what do you mean? Katara?" his voice climbed octaves, louder and louder as he called her name, "Katara? Katara! _Katara!_"

Then, a last breath on the wind, "I need you to... forgive me."

**Chap. 8 Growing apart**

"We're going to miss you, Avatar," Hakoda said, speaking for the entire tribe.

"I'm going to miss you guys, too. I don't... I don't know if I'm going to come visit again. There's... a lot of sad memories for me, here."

The graying man nodded slowly, and reached his hand up to take the Avatar's in his own. "I just wanted you to know, Katara had never been happier before she met you, and was never as happy again when you left- until she died, at least. Take care of yourself, Avatar."

Unashamed of the tears in his eyes, the old man maneuvered his way through the tearful crowd back toward his lodge. He gave one final wave as he went inside, but didn't turn around.

"Wait!" he heard Toph call, she was running flat out across the village toward him. He patted Appa on the head and said, "Hold on, buddy. Toph wants to come after all, I guess."

After the girl had scrambled up into the saddle, Aang cried, "Yip yip!" and they were airborne once more.

Once again, Aang woke to hear Toph's screaming, and without even thinking about it, he repeated the ritual, placing one hand on her forehead and one on her stomach, calming the chaos in her Chakra flow. Tomorrow around midday they'd reach Kiyoshi Island, where they'd buried Sokka. Katara and Suki had both insisted that he be put to rest where he'd found his greatest happiness. Last time the pair had been there, Suki was involved with someone else, but had confided in them that she just didn't feel the same way about him as she had with Sokka, and didn't know how much longer they'd be together.

With a sigh, the Avatar stood up and walked through the stone wall of the tent, knowing he wouldn't be able to get to sleep tonight. He spared a glance toward Katara's shrouded form, but looked away before too many memories could fight their way to the surface.

_What had gone wrong? I only did what she asked me to do. She practically begged me to stay with her, then forced me to go. Maybe what Sifu Patik said was right. Maybe the Avatar just can't afford worldly attachments because we aren't supposed to feel regret. That's typical, 'save the world, Avatar, you're the only one who can, Avatar'. But is there ever any 'you can rest now, Avatar. You've done enough, Avatar. Take some time for yourself, Avatar'. No. That's why I didn't want to be the Avatar in the first place, why I ran away a hundred years ago. It's just... not... fair._

The bitter taste of regret, of anger and frustration, combined with the shame that someone who was supposed to live selflessly could even have such selfish thoughts, brought angry tears to his eyes. With a gust of wind, Aang called his glider from where it had been resting next to the tent, and launched himself into the air, finding solace in the skies.

"Where did you go last night?" Toph asked at breakfast the following day. She hadn't said a word since they'd left the Water Tribe aside from "Let's go to Kiyoshi, then I want you to take me home to Omashu."

The sudden words startled Aang, and he almost dropped his rice. "I... I just went flying. I needed to clear my head a little. I kept an eye out, I knew you were safe."

"Damnit, Aang, how come you always do that? I can take care of myself!" she screamed suddenly.

Without a word, Aang put down his breakfast and called the glider to him again, leaving Toph to berate herself in silence.

"Aang, I'm sorry," she said a few hours later. He'd landed about twenty minutes ago and started repacking their supplies without a word. Once again, he started at her words, but then resumed his work without a word.

"I said I'm sorry! Look... I kind of like that you take care of me. It's nice to know that someone's concerned about my wellbeing."

The soft tone caused Aang to look around, and for the first time he noticed that she was crying. Paralyzed with worry, he simply stood there while she continued, "I just... sometimes I feel like I'm slowing you down, like you spend all your time and energy taking care of me. Like you'd be better off if you just left me behind. That's why I want you to take me to my parent's house. I'm going to stay with them, now."

For the third time that morning, he called his glider and took off without a word, leaving the forlorn Earthbender to finish packing Appa by herself.

When he caught up to them, they were almost halfway to Kiyoshi, passing over the village of Chin. He landed lightly on Appa's saddle, then climbed forward until he was sitting on Appa's thick neck just behind Toph. She didn't react to his presence, though he was sure she could feel the vibrations and knew he was there.

"Toph, I'm sorry. I forgot one of the basic lessons of Earthbending. I've let you down."

"What lesson is that, pupil?" she asked, forcing calm despite the fact that she was delighted he'd come back at last.

"The lesson that some problems can't be solved by evasion. You can't dance around everything. Some things you have to meet head-on."

"I see. Well, if you understand, then show me what you've learned." She guided Appa downward, asking him to find a suitable landing sight on the island that had just become visible on the horizon.

"Show me how the Avatar solves problems by meeting them head-on. But first, let's bury our friend, OK?" she said, and felt him nod behind her.

The ceremony was short and simple, Toph and Aang together digging a grave identical to the one they'd made for Sokka six years previously, and right next to his. Suki, most of the other Kiyoshi Warriors, and half of the village were there as well. To his surprise, Suki's new significant other was the young Earthbender Katara had had a little crush on years ago. Hap? Hal? Something like that. After it was over, everyone who'd come for the ceremony moved by Toph and Aang, offering condolences and their support. The ones they'd most wanted to see, however, Suki and the other Earthbender... whatever his name was... Hara? simply smiled and offered the same words as everyone else. In the end, it was just Aang and Toph, Appa and Momo. Even the excitable lemur was acting depressed.

"Everyone leaves, don't they?" Aang said at last.

Toph nodded, and without another word began walking back toward the bison.

'There's Omashu, Toph. You're almost home." Aang called, his voice shaking a little. Just like the journey to Kiyoshi Island, the path from there to Omashu had been almost totally quiet. Every once in a while, Aang had tried to make conversation, but his companion had become very taciturn lately, and answered everything with a grunt, if she replied at all.

Setting Appa down outside the city, the pair began walking toward the great gates of the city, when Aang tried to make conversation one more time. "It'll be good to see your parents again, won't it? You haven't seen them in six years."

Toph stopped walking suddenly, and Aang was three steps ahead before he could make himself stop as well.

"Toph? What's up?" he said over his shoulder, then turned and stepped back toward her. Her white eyes were staring right at him, and he felt himself blush even though he knew she couldn't see him.

"It's... I don't really want to see them again. Let's go, Aang."

_What kind of Earthbender am I? So much for confronting it head-on. Aang's a bad influence on me._

With one last glance back at the city where his old friend Bumi had ruled until three years ago, Aang followed his friend back toward their waiting bison.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked that night. Appa was flying over the Serpent's Pass heading southwest, but they had no particular destination in mind. She hadn't said much more, but Aang had the distinct impression she was just biding her time.

She shook her head no, but said right afterwards, "Yes. I do. But I don't want you to say anything until I'm done, OK? After that, you can say or do whatever you want."

"Uh... OK... " he said, unsure of what he was getting himself into.

"There's this girl I know, a friend of ours, actually. She... used to really like this other guy who died in the war. One of their other friends really liked his sister, and she liked him. This friend thought they made a really cute couple, and she was happy for them. With me so far?"

Aang nodded, fighting the blush. It was so obvious what she was talking about, why didn't she just say it? It wasn't like her at all. "Oh, yeah. Sorry. Just nodded again. I get it."

Toph turned away, rolling herself to face away from him before she spoke again, "Anyway, later on the two got really serious, then something happened and they had a fight. They never saw each other again until right before the girl died. That was six years later. I guess they made up, because the guy took his old girlfriend's body halfway around the world to bury her where she asked him to.

"My... my friend's problem is this. She's really jealous of one of her best friends. Her first love died, but even though they hadn't spoken for six years, her love's sister and other friend still loved each other so much that it was painful to watch. She just wants that for herself. She knows it's selfish, and knows it's wrong, and it'd be betraying two of her best friends, and her first love. But she doesn't care, she wants it anyway. What would you tell her, if you knew who it was?"

Aang was quiet for so long, Toph thought he'd fallen asleep when he finally answered. He rolled onto his side and put his head on his elbow, watching her back. "I would tell that friend this. Sometimes not all problems can be met head-on, either. Sometimes you have to skirt the issue. Sometimes you have to drop subtle hints, hoping and praying for someone else to get it. If one solution doesn't work... try another, and keep trying until it works. But don't give up."

Two minutes later, he heard her snore, and relaxed before drifting off to sleep himself.

**Chap. 8 Sifu Aang**

"OK, I'm ready to tell you, I think." Toph said a week later. To be honest, neither really had any idea where they were, they'd been letting Appa take them wherever he wanted since Toph had confessed -sort of- to Aang. Neither had brought it up again, but they were both making an effort to act just like they always had. They laughed, talked, and the days went by one after another with almost no change.

Aang wasn't sure he was ready to hear what Toph was going to say. They'd only buried Katara a few days ago, it seemed. He knew what she thought, or he thought he knew what she thought, or... he wasn't sure anymore. And he wasn't really adverse to it... was he?

"I guess I'm ready to listen, then. What's on your mind?" he said, gliding back toward the saddle to sit next to the black haired girl.

"I want to tell you why I wake up screaming almost every night. What scares me so bad."

Taken aback, the Avatar looked over at her. _How long has she had that earring? It's pretty. Wait... didn't she get that in the Fire Nation while we were waiting for the invasion? And wait... did I... I did. Oh crap, what did she do to me? What am I going to do now?_

"What is it, Toph? You know you can tell me anything, I won't make fun of you if it's something important. You know that, right?" he prodded a few minutes later.

Toph then did something he'd never have expected. She stood up and climbed over the saddle to Appa's head, but instead of sitting down, she stood there and put her arms out like a bird, then called back, "I'm afraid of heights!"

_What the...?_

"Toph? Did you say you were afraid of..." he trailed off after he'd joined her. He held one arm just away from either side of her waist in case she suddenly started to fall, but he needn't have worried. Appa may not have been the ground- they may not have been anywhere near it, in fact, but she was as stable as she ever was on the ground.

"Yes, I'm afraid of heights! Every night I dream of that time I fell off of Appa. Isn't that crazy?" she looked back, her face plastered with a huge smile.

"Yeah, that's pretty crazy. But I think I know how to cure it!" Simultaneously bringing his glider to one hand and wrapping the other firmly around her waist, Aang jumped off of Appa, pulling the screaming young woman after him.

The high-pitched wail had one pause while Toph took another deep breath and began screaming again as they plummeted to the ground.

"Toph! Use your bracelet and attach our arms and legs together, quick! We're going to hit the water if we don't pull up soon!" she heard Aang call out, but the roar of the wind almost whipped the words away even though his mouth was inches from her ear. Terrified, she couldn't focus enough to bend the metallic bracelet, but fortunately she had enough dirt layered around her to do the job. Cleaner than she'd been in a month, Toph hurriedly bound their elbows and knees together with bands of condensed dirt. That done, Aang took control and rolled her over so that her back was to him and she was facing down, then she felt him grab the handles of the glider and fill it's wings with a powerful gust of air...

It wasn't enough, she could still feel the wind rushing past her face, they were still going almost straight down. She could hear the gentle waves of the deep ocean below, but getting closer every moment...

And then they rocketed into the sky, Aang's fierce laughter ringing in her ears. Up, up they climbed, spiraling higher and higher.

_It's almost like riding Appa. If I can pretend he's walking on the ground, I can pretend Aang's carrying me... in a really weird position... can't I? Or maybe he's tied me up for... why would Aang tie me up? Oh..."_ At that moment, the young woman was incredibly grateful that her thick mane of hair hid the deep crimson of her face.

Higher and higher they went, until Aang had to struggle to find enough air for the two to breathe, much less keep rising. Appa had followed them, but couldn't get any closer than the tiny white speck against the endless blue of the ocean below. They were almost motionless in the air, and a gentle breeze, side effect of the gushing currents of air Aang was using to keep them aloft, was the only sound aside from Toph's panting.

"See, it's not so bad," he said, grinning. Her reply was a headbutt to the chin.

"You jerk! I just told you I was afraid of heights and you throw me off Appa? What the hell were you thinking?" she screamed, "Take me back! Put me down!"

Unable to resist one final act of defiance, he said, "OK... I'll take you down. But I'm going to do it my way."

He leaned them just a few degrees forward, and suddenly they were shooting toward the ground so quickly that their weight on the stone bindings and handles of the glider disappeared. Moving faster than gravity could pull them, their clothes billowed away, shaking in the rush of wind as Toph got her first real taste of free fall.

When they touched down on Appa's back, she was laughing freely. She thanked Aang, then walked to Appa's head and stood with her arms spread just like she'd done hours before. She reached back for her hair comb, and tugged it out, letting her shaggy mane flow out behind her in the wind.

_She's so beautiful_.

_Wait... damn, I did it again. But so what? She really is. She's not like Katara, not at all. Katara was gentle, and kind, and dark, and exotic. But Toph... she's strong, like Katara, but in a different way. She's rough, and fierce, and she lives like a kid. She does what she wants, when she wants. She's more like an Air Nomad than I am, sometimes. _

_And she's not the selfish kid she used to be. She's... a gorgeous woman. I can't believe I've been so blind. If she hadn't said anything last week, I probably still wouldn't have noticed. She's not the blind one at all._

"Hey, Toph!" Aang called a few months later. The sun had risen a few minutes before, and he'd been cooking for an hour. The tent they'd stayed in the night before sank into the ground with a rumble, and she sat up rubbing her silver eyes.

"Breakfast? Smells great. I'll be back in a minute."

He watched her as she walked into the woods a ways and went behind a tree. When she came back a minute later, she was a little more awake, but still half asleep when she dropped down next to him. He handed her the bowl wordlessly, and she took it without comment. But he didn't miss the smile on her face when she tasted it.

"You made tigerboar curry- just for me?" she asked, grinning.

"Yeah... it_ is _your birthday. So... happy birthday, Toph."

"So what did you get me?"

He was shocked. He hadn't even thought of getting her an actual present. _Idiot. Now she'll be mad for weeks._

"I, uh... it's not here. I left it in... uh... Ba Sing Se when we were there last."

Her eyebrows twitched, and he knew that she knew he'd lied, but for once she didn't call him on it. Instead, she finished the last of her breakfast and stood without another word. She walked around the campfire to him and bent over, whispering in his ear, "I know what you can get me."

His face heated up at once, and she giggled, but surprised him again by tapping the ground and causing a finger of stone to toss the glider over to her where she caught it effortlessly. Handing it to him, she faced away and spread her arms out, waiting for him to bind them together so she could go flying again.

With a huge smile, he stepped up behind her, bent some earth from the tent into bindings, and they soared into the sky.


	5. Chapter 9, 10: Sifu Aang, Desperate Meas

**Chap. 9 Desperate measures**

Again, they hung motionless in the air, so high that the city a few mountains from their campsite was nothing but a dark stain on the green forest below them. Unable to really enjoy the view the way Aang obviously did, Toph instead let her mind wander while they drifted on the ether. Finally, a wicked plan solidified in her, and she knew what she had to do. _Think like an Airbender. Go around the problem, find another way. If he didn't understand that 'subtle hint', it's time to take matters into your own hands. Right, Toph?_

The subtle scent of soil and dirt filled Aang's nostrils right along with the fresh, clean smell of rain, clouds, and the blue sky. It was intoxicating. This was only the second time he'd taken Toph flying like this, but she seemed so much more at peace now than she had since... well, ever. She hadn't woken screaming in weeks. It looked like his cure had worked, if she'd asked for it the second time.

Proud of himself for being so smart and clever, Aang never noticed the oh-so-slow flexing of the muscles beneath him, or the casual grinding of her hips against his. That is, until she called back, "Hey Aang! I think you have a rock in your pockets!"

Perplexed, he looked down the narrow gap between them to see what she was talking about, and turned the brightest shade of red he'd ever been when he saw the bulge in his pants. He immediately went into a dive, determined to distract himself and get rid of it, but also wanting desperately to be able to separate himself from the woman who's life depended on proximity to him at the moment. If she figured out what it really was...

_Argh, I can't stand it! Why does she have to laugh so... so sexily? It's never going to go away, if... I have to get to the ground, have to get some distance so she can't see it. Wait... that's it!_

"Hey Toph, I have an idea. Want to try it?" he called when they were about a thousand meters up, still dropping at a terrific speed.

"What is it?"

"I want to let you go when you're just above the ground and see if you can stop without hurting yourself." he called, the idea sounding more and more stupid as he said it.

"Are you crazy?" she called back, then said, "Sounds good. Let's do it! I _am_ the greatest Earthbender in the world, after all!"

Laughing again, still amazed that she'd agreed to try the stupid stunt, he swooped in low, slowing down as much as he dared , then releasing her feet from the bindings. As they skimmed along the plateau he brought her feet to within inches of the ground and said, "All right! There's about five hundred meters on either side, three times that ahead. Solid rock, I think. Your feet are about an inch up! Are you ready?" She nodded, keeping her face turned away so that he couldn't see her grin.

She touched down a little sooner than she'd thought, and she'd underestimated their speed as well. All the same, she only stumbled once before she sent the kinetic energy surging through the rock. His eyes facing backward at Toph, Aang didn't see the stone claw reach out of the ground to snatch him out of the air until it was too late. His own forward speed was caught and bent into a curve as the rocky hand whipped around in a circle. Bending as hard as she could, it was all Toph could do to contain the momentum and energy until it had bled away.

The girl breathed a sigh of relief, she could still hear his heart through the rock, could hear him calling to her. He'd been taken completely by surprise, and hadn't even begun to fight back. Now she could feel his own vibrations pick up as he attempted to free himself from the claw, but she quickly surrounded him in dirt and stone so dense that he could barely breathe. Even as powerful as he was, the Avatar wouldn't be able to get out of that easily. Casually, the dark haired woman twitched a finger and the earthen prison she'd created for her friend sped toward her. As it came, she released her hair comb again, letting her hair flow freely.

As he approached, she made sure that the small gap she'd allowed for his breathing kept his whole face clear, smiling inwardly when she saw she'd done it perfectly.

"Uh... Toph? What are you doing?" she heard him choke out. It must have been hard to breathe, but she didn't dare let him loose, at least not yet.

"Just trying a little experiment, oh mighty Avatar," she said sweetly, walking the last few steps toward him, making sure her hips swayed like she'd learned from Katara all those years ago.

"You see, I trusted you, and now it's your turn to trust me. Sound fair? I just want to try... a little experiment."

She could hear him gulp, worried. He knew that if it came down to it, he could beat her in a fight, but he didn't want to hurt her. The problem was that she was _so_ powerful, he would have to go all out to win, and that would be putting her at risk. Not knowing what else to do, the Avatar hung his head in defeat, or tried to anyway.

"Fine, you win. I trust you. What's your experiment?"

"I'm going to let you go, but you have to close your eyes and not move, OK?"

He grunted, and she released the prison to flow back into the ground she'd pulled it out of.

Aang swallowed again, nervous now, and then closed his eyes.

The woman in front of him took a step forward, then another, and another until she was mere inches from him.

_When did he get so tall? We were the same height for years, now he's at least an inch taller. That's not fair._ She banished the stray thought, reached her hands to take the Avatar's face in her hands, and stood on her toes just a little bit, then brought her lips to his.

_Holy Avatar Day! Did she just... she_ did_! _

More shocked than he could say, Aang's eyes flew open to see Toph's pale face turn just the tiniest shade of pink. She wasn't blushing as badly as he'd expected. But her breathing... it was ragged. _And so was his_.

She let her hands drop and turned away before she said quietly, "Sorry. I just had to know."

"Know what, Toph?"

"Don't be too mad, OK? I just had to know if... if you felt the same."

He chuckled, and she whirled around, suddenly furious, "Don't you laugh, Aang! I'll never forgive-"

She was silenced by Aang's lips, pressing, crushing her own. When he finally let her go, she was totally breathless.

"Toph? Are you OK?" he asked, concerned, a minute later. She'd brought two fingertips to her lips, but hadn't moved since. He pulled his hands back, releasing her upper arms and took a step backwards. "I'm sorry, I thought that's what you wanted. It won't happen again."

Once again, Aang took off into the sky, leaving Toph alone.

**Chap. 10 Rocks don't fly... do they?**

"Come on Toph, think like an Airbender! Sure, you could get down from here easily enough, just go through the ground. Go find Appa, wait for Aang to come back to him. No! That's stupid. Being an Earthbender hasn't worked so far. Gotta find another way."

The young woman was pacing back and forth across the small plateau, the frustration and annoyance she felt- towards both herself and Aang- causing the entire mountainside to tremble a little with each step.

"There has to be another way. He took off into the sky, but I can't follow him like that. Rocks don't fly, at least without Bending. So how can I follow him?"

Her voice fell silent as she continued to pace. Then it hit her, hit her like a landslide. Rocks _don't _fly- at least, without a Bender. And she was widely regarded (not least by herself) as the greatest Earthbender in the world. Sure, it took a lot of energy to keep a rock in the air. But what about dust? She was covered in a layer of it, as always. She looked down at her hands, puzzled.

_Why hasn't anyone else tried it? Simple, really. Earthbenders don't think like Airbenders. Just like an Airbender wouldn't ever think of using an air current to burrow into the ground. Well... only one way to find out._

She thickened the dust layer just a little, more to distribute the stress evenly than to give her more to bend, and raised her hands into the air just like she'd done on Appa's head those many weeks ago. Only this time, she brought the earth with her, and Toph Beifong became the first Earthbender to learn to fly.


	6. Chapter 11: Rocks don't fly do they?

**Chap. 11 No strings attached**

There was just one problem. She couldn't see where she was going. She found that out the hard way, after blundering into two, three, no, four mountainsides, and a few tall trees besides. She needed a guide. Someone small, agile, with a good nose would be best. Carefully, she made her way back towards their camp. Yes, there they were. She could feel them when she touched down. The amount of energy it took to hold even that amount of dust and her own weight aloft for hours was staggering, and by the time she'd limped back into camp, her skin raw and bruised, she had decided to take a little nap to rest up before she went after Aang.

When she woke up, she'd expected to feel aches all over, but there was no pain at all. She expected to hear the light flutter of Momo's heart, and the strong, slow beat of Appa's. She did... and one more besides. Aang was back.

Toph stood slowly, making sure there were no lasting injuries, and the sound caused the young man to stir.

"Sifu Toph, I am very sorry," he said, making a deep bow, "this time... I simply ran away. I was afraid of your reaction. I didn't trust you, and I'm sorry." He bowed again, but was bowled over as he stood by the green-and-yellow clad woman.

"You came back!" she cried, her eyes wet, as she crushed him into a powerful hug. His back and ribs popped numerous times, and he let out a small gasp of pain before she released him.

Suddenly realizing she was straddling him, Toph leapt to her feet, face red yet again, and offered a hand to Aang, pulling him to his feet. In a more mature, calm voice, she then said, "Pupil Aang, apology accepted. What have you learned from this lesson?"

She faced away from him again, as he scratched his cheek, trying not to say what he knew she was waiting for.

"Uh... I ah... umm..." he began, then finally blurted it out in a rush, "Ilearnednottotakewhat'sinfrontofmeforgrantedandtobemorereceptivetothesignsinfrontofmyeyes."

It took her a few seconds to reason out what he'd said, but she turned with a small smile, and he knew she'd truly forgiven him. "Now, Master Aang of the Air Nomads, let me show you what Airbending _I've_ learned."

She took a few steps backwards away from him as his eyes swelled and his jaw went slack. She's learned... _Airbending_?

With a laugh, she shot into the sky, soaring and wheeling just like he did, just like he'd done with her. Unable to believe it, he grabbed his glider and joined her in the air. They cavorted for hours, Appa and Momo joining them, then eventually leaving to rest as the sun dropped lower in the sky.

"All right, Toph, come straight to me! Remember it's on the plateau, so..." there was a loud crash as Toph barreled into a boulder twenty feet away. Aang reached her just as the dust was starting to clear. She was battered and bruised, much like she'd been when he'd come back to camp earlier that day. There was just enough water in his canteen to take care of her. Once again, Aang was glad that he'd finally been able to master- or at least begin to master- the Waterbender's healing methods.

The bruises and cuts melted away under the blue glow of Aang's Waterbending, but she remained unconscious until he was almost totally finished. He'd taken care of most of the scrapes on her face, only one particularly jagged cut on her lower lip remained when she came to.

_It was him healing me? When did he learn to do that?_

Then Toph realized she was feeling particularly breezy. Both her clothing and her layer of dirt were gone.

Without thinking, one fist lashed out at the Avatar and the other pulled a wave of earth over her bare skin. She stopped the fist, memories of what had happened last time she'd hit him causing her heart to skip a beat, and he stopped the wave with a gentle push of his own.

"I'm sorry, Toph. I had to keep your wounds clean, so the dirt had to go. If you'd gotten an infection, I wouldn't have been able to heal it."

His words brought back other times she'd woken clean and uninjured, and her face heated up again.

"You jerk! How many times has it been? How long have you been getting a thrill by looking at me naked?"

She tried again to cover herself up, and this time he let her, a cheesy grin on his face.

"Well..." he said slowly, "About two years. Before that I just did it 'cause I had to."

She was about to reply when she realized exactly what he was saying.

"Since... since we were sixteen?" she asked quietly, and he nodded sheepishly.

"Why didn't you say anything sooner?" she asked again, and he looked away, turning a little red in the dim light of sunset before answering.

"I was scared how you'd react. And I thought... I thought I'd be betraying Katara. And you wouldn't be interested. I mean, I know you really loved Sokka."

She didn't have a response to that, instead she just pretended to join him in watching the sunset. She could feel the warmth, at least, and that was something. "OK, so what now?" she asked tentatively a little after the last of the sunlight had faded.

She felt him shrug, then pull her toward him. Pulling her onto his lap, Aang inhaled a large breath of the smell of earth and Toph, and said, "I don't really know. Katara's dead and gone, so is Sokka. Suki's got a life with... Haru? Yeah, Haru. Zuko and Mei got married last year. Finally. It's just us now. There's no one else to tie ourselves to."

A little stung, Toph pulled away a bit, and growled, "So you're settling for me because I'm the last one left? Is that it?"

Aang smiled and pulled her back into his embrace before answering. "No, not at all. The monks always taught us that we should be free of worldly attachments. And of all the people I've met since I woke up in the iceberg, you're the only other one I know that can really fly. How much less attached to the world can you be?"


	7. Chapter 12: No strings attached

**Chap. 12 Proof, after a fashion.**

"Are you sure it doesn't matter?" Aang asked for the thousandth time.

Again for the thousandth time, Toph sighed exasperatedly, and said, "Yes, I'm sure. We've been _over_ this. It's time for both of us to move on. And hey... you're starting to make it sound like you don't _want_ to."

He didn't look entirely convinced, so Toph pulled out her trump card with a sigh. It was cruel, but it would work. "Look, Aang... in a way I'm kind of glad. I'm glad that Katara got to experience it before she died. I'm glad that you were the one that showed her. She was one of my best friends, like my mother and big sister all rolled into one."

_Whoah, deja vu. That's just like what Katara said to Sokka..._

"Besides all that, it just means you won't be totally new to it. I know Katara was a good teacher. She probably taught you a lot, right?"

"Well..." Aang said, the whole situation making him uncomfortable all over again. They had been officially 'together' for a months' time, and Toph was tired of waiting. They were en route to Zuko's palace, the new structure he'd had built over the ruins of the old. He called it 'moving forward'. The young Fire Lord hadn't kept in contact, but by the tone of his reply when they'd sent the letter asking him if he would see them, he was looking forward to as much as they were.

"Come on, Aang. I know you want to. Just get over it, and let's go."

The stern tone of voice told him that there wouldn't be any more wordplay. She was well and truly tired of waiting. He sighed, defeated at last, and turned back toward his... girlfriend. _I still can't believe it. Six years ago I'd have killed to be able to call Katara that. And I never gave Toph a second thought, except as a friend. Now... as much as I loved Katara, that was nothing at all like this. I was just a puppy._

. She was wearing a dressing gown similar to the one she'd been wearing when he'd first gone to her house seven years ago. She lay casually against the soft mattress they'd bought to lay down on the bottom of Appa's saddle. Her black hair was down, one arm propping her head up as she gazed more or less in his direction.

"You're so stubborn, you know that?" he said at last, lying down beside her.

"Yeah... and you are too. I can't believe it's taken most of a month to get you to go along with it. What did it take Katara, ten minutes? Am I just not as pretty?"

She knew at once she shouldn't have said it, because Aang withdrew his hand from her cheek at once.

"Aang? I'm sorry, I didn't mean it. I'm just being stupid."

"No, it's OK Toph. I promise." he said, his hand returning to her skin, "I mean... the way you said it was kind of mean, but that's the way you are. You're blunt like a boulder, and sharp like a stone knife. It's who you are. But just so you know... you aren't right at all."

"What?" she asked, surprised.

"It took her... wow, six months at least. I was a moron for waiting that long. And don't get me wrong, she _was_ beautiful, but she's really got nothing on you."

She pulled away from his warm hand, sure he was lying. But the quiet sincerity in his voice, and the uninterrupted (though fast) rhythm of his heart and lungs backed it up. He really believed it. Settling down again, he leaned over her and she reached up to grab the new growth of hair on his head and pull him down into a deep kiss.

His tongue brushed against her lips, and unable to contain her smile, she pushed him away just to see the frustrated expression on his face.

"Serves you right, for making me wait." she said in a huff, and turned her back on him.

Grinning at the challenge, Aang focused a tiny blade of water from their drinking canteen and carefully sliced a hole along the back of the dress. She didn't react, so he was sure he'd pulled it off without her noticing. Smiling wickedly, he replaced the water in the container and placed his palms against her shoulder blades.

The unexpected contact of skin on skin made her gasp, but she relaxed almost at once as his strong fingers kneaded the knots of compact muscle beneath her skin. She groaned and rolled onto her stomach, no longer caring that he'd shredded her beautiful dress to get access.

"You know," he said, leaning over her to whisper quietly in her ear, "it really hasn't been easy waiting. Facing down Ozai and Azula was nothing compared to that. I really am glad it's over."

She smiled contentedly as he continued to work his magic, finally shredding the gossamer sleeves of the gown and pulling the remainder off to move up to her shoulders and upper arms, then her neck and scalp.

"Oh Aang... that feels... so amazing." she groaned, more relaxed than she'd been... maybe ever.

He didn't reply, but she could feel the subtle increase in warmth that told her he was blushing so deeply that his hands were turning red. The warm night air breezing across her bare back lent another powerful sensation to what Toph was experiencing. Then without warning, Aang used the same trick as before to slice the white (well, mostly brown) wraps from around Toph's torso, and the soft linen fell to the mattress with a slither.

Feeling the sudden release of pressure, Toph opened one eye, but smiled when the Avatar resumed his powerful but gentle prodding, this time without anything in the way. She rolled over at last, not caring that the top half of the gown had stayed wrapped around her waist, baring her torso to her love's awed gaze.

"It's nothing you haven't seen before, so why are you so surprised?" Toph asked, grinning.

"I just have to ask, one more time, Toph. Because I won't be able to stop myself if-"

"Aang. It's fine. No more arguing."

He nodded, totally oblivious that she couldn't see it, and moved his hands again.

Like he'd been doing to her back, he began to rub and caress the pale skin of her abdomen. She thought she was just getting another massage, but this time Aang had other ideas.

Using the techniques he'd picked up from Patik so long ago and his own now-intimate knowledge of Toph's Chakras, the Avatar sent waves of pleasure surging throughout her body. She gasped and shuddered, utterly unprepared for... whatever he'd done.

"Sorry," she heard him murmur, "I should have warned you."

"No... that was amazing. Do it again."

She could have sworn she heard him smile, but he didn't obey her this time. Instead, he caressed the back of one hand up from her bellybutton to just below her firm breasts, and she gasped again. Her nerve receptors were on fire, but it was the most amazing fire she'd ever felt. Undeterred, the man repeated the motion with both hands, this time moving from the tops of her ribcage underneath each arm down to the hollow of her waist and the bulge in her hips. Even through the remains of the thin cloth, she could feel the same tingle everywhere he touched.

Her eyes opened again to stare at him without seeing, but Aang took the hint. She wanted more. Well, he did too. As slowly as he could manage, the man brought each hand to rest on her ribs just below each breast, his fingers circling them. She smiled and nodded, but this time the Avatar needed no encouragement. Giving each one a light squeeze, he moved his hands up in unison over each firm breast, eliciting a throaty groan from the woman lying almost paralyzed at his knees. Smiling, glad she was enjoying it as much as he was, Aang repeated the gesture from the top down, then suddenly grabbed each small, dark nipple between a thumb and finger.

Squeezing ever so slightly, Toph gasped again, the sharp inhale of breath almost, but not quite, sounding like pain. Her breathing didn't regulate again. Before she'd had a chance to recover, Aang pushed the two breasts together, released them, and suddenly took one nipple in his mouth, the other now receiving the attention of both hands.

When Toph felt his wet, hot tongue circle her areola then flicker over her nipple again and again, she let out another throaty moan, and unable to stop herself, reached out and clutched Aang's head closer. Surprised, he looked up at her, then grinned, resuming his work while she continued to pant. She was just starting to feel pain instead of pleasure, her nerves becoming over sensitized, when Aang suddenly switched his mouth to the other breast, resuming the same action. Meanwhile, his hands began to trail lightly down her abdomen and over her stomach, coming to rest at the narrow cloth band that hugged the gown to her waist.

Using strength he didn't know he had, the Avatar pulled the belt apart with one hand, allowing the gown to slide open in the wind. She wasn't wearing anything underneath.

"You are so beautiful," he whispered, and the pale girl blushed again. This time he smiled to see it spread from her sternum to her face. He'd seen her naked before, but not... never like this. Before, he had been healing her, doing what he could to keep her healthy. And yes, sneaking more than one peek for no other reason that to admire her slight but powerful form.

He slid down, his hands abandoning Toph's top half to knead and work her tense and shaking thighs like he'd done with her back what felt like hours before. At once, she began to relax, another contented sigh escaping her. His hands were slowly moving upwards from her knees to her waist, inside, outside, inside, out, moving back and forth across her legs. Sooner or later, he'd have to go around or-

She gasped again.

Toph had known his hands were warm, almost hot, but when he'd suddenly cupped her groin in his hands, she'd experienced a shock of heat like she'd never felt before, and it seemed to come not from him, but from _her._

Unable to stop the burning desire she now felt, Toph sat up and pushed Aang back to lean against the seat of the saddle.

"Toph?" he asked, curious.

"Just lie still. Katara taught me a few things too, you know." she said, her face turning red again. Her hands more sure than she felt, the moved her palms up the cloth covering his legs, then placing her small hands on his groin.

She'd felt it before when they were flying on her birthday last year, but holding it in her hands, her second set of eyes, was entirely different. Even through the cloth she could feel the heat of Aang's member, could hear the rush of blood as it throbbed for release. She grinned wickedly again, then using the brute force of an Earthbender ripped his pants completely apart.

"Toph, what are you-" he blurted, but she interrupted, "Quiet. It's just payback for my nightgown. Now just enjoy it.

It took some effort on her part, but she could feel, both through Appa and their own contact, the vibrations that meant he'd thrown his head back when she took him in both her hands and gripped tightly. He groaned just like he'd made her do when she began slowly twisting the skin of his shaft around, then letting it return, moving up and down the whole while.

"Wow," he found the control to say after a little while, so she changed her grip, and again he threw his head back. Now she was resting each hand palm-inward and fingers extended, almost like she was praying, but Toph held Aang's swollen manhood between her fingers. Now her touch was light, airy, and it was driving him wild. He was now panting, his breath coming in uneven gasps.

She held him like that for a few seconds to give him a chance to breathe, but when he opened his eyes and looked down at her, it was to see her tongue flick out and brush the tip of his penis, sending another shudder through him.

No longer feeling shy about it, Toph did what Toph does- went for it, full bore. Katara had warned her that she might have the urge to gag, especially with a larger man, but she'd have to fight it down. If she couldn't she shouldn't take it all. _But since when does Toph Beifong do anything halfway?_

When Aang felt her mouth engulf him, all of him, he cried out, the feel of her coarse tongue on his shaft, the silky smooth, but uneven, texture of her tonsils and throat around his head, the Avatar couldn't control himself anymore. He was beyond, outside himself, and unable to stop what happened. Grabbing her head to hold her steady, Aang bucked once, twice, three times into Toph's mouth, and with a small roar, released his seed into her throat.

Only then did he realize what he'd done. _Oh no. She's probably so mad..._ but when he finally opened his eyes, expecting to see a Toph enraged, or maybe in pain, he saw that she'd risen onto her knees between his legs, and was gazing down at him. There was just a twinge of something wet and white on her lips, and she casually picked it up on one finger, then put it into her mouth, sucking it off.

"Mm, tastes salty." she said with a smile, then lunged forward and kissed him deeply, forcing her tongue into his mouth. She was right, it was salty.

"Had enough already, Aang?" she teased a few minutes later. Their impromptu tongue-wrestling match had subsided into giggles and chuckles, and they lay against each other now to keep warm from the chill now born on the night air. He clothed from the waist up, and she mostly from the waist down, they found it just enough to keep warm- if they stayed in close contact.

"Huh. I'm the _Avatar_. It's going to take more than that to finish me off, Toph," he said, his grin cocky.

"Prove it."

Again, he didn't need urging. Pulling one hand from where it had been wrapped around her shoulder playing with her black hair, he brushed it once, twice, across each nipple and then down toward her abdomen. He paused there for a second, and said, "No, I'd better not. Might kill you this time." She gave a little squirm to show her displeasure, but stopped at once when he used the distraction to force his hand between her legs. She didn't bother closing them again, his fingers felt too good.

Still blushing a little, he ran each finger down one fold of her furry sex a few times, trying to get a gauge for where she was most sensitive. Watching her closely, he touched the spot he was guessing was it once, with a little more pressure, and her breath caught in her throat. _Yep, that's it._

He rolled her around so she was leaning back against him and pulled her legs further apart, then dived back in with one hand, bringing the other back up to knead and caress her breasts, her sides, her neck and cheeks.

"Are you nervous?" he asked softly, and she shook her head. He knew Katara had warned her, and Toph was no stranger to pain. But Katara hadn't been either, and she'd still cried out. Still, he'd learned a little since then. She needed more time to relax, to prepare. Aang casually swept his palm across the little nub, and Toph cried out again.

"Too much?" he asked, and she nodded.

"Sorry. I'll go easier on you."

This time, he repeated the movement but slower, softer, and instead of the intense pleasure that was almost painful, she felt a deep warmth spreading from inside her in waves. It traveled down each leg, swirled around her torso, and up into her head and arms, causing her whole body to tingle as he worked his palm back and forth across her clit. When her breathing had become erratic again, Aang put one finger against her opening and pulled it back to find it literally dripping with her natural lubrication. She was almost ready. He then returned his middle finger to Toph's entrance and pushed it slowly inside.

Toph's back arched away from him, and she shuddered deeply, crying out his name. Then, as suddenly as it had happened, she relaxed back against him, her whole body shaking. Just as slowly as before, he began to move his finger in and out, making sure she was at least a little ready for him.

By now, his member was throbbing with pain and tension, trapped against Toph's firm rear. When she'd recovered, she put her hand on Aang's and pulled his hand away from her and turned to face him again, still kneeling.

"Do you really want me?" she asked coyly, the same innocent expression on her now-adult face that she'd used to gull her parents into thinking she was some angel who could do no wrong. The sultry way she'd said it combined with that face drove him wild. He reached for her, but she pulled out of his reach just in time. She shook one finger at him with a tisk, and said, her voice still low and husky, "Nope. You've had your fun. Now it's my turn, and I want it my way."

She pulled his legs flat out and moved in closer, bringing the dark patch between her legs within reach of Aang's mouth. He flicked his tongue out to taste her, and Toph was a hair's breadth to slow to escape, but not to punish him for what he'd done. She grabbed the growth of new hair on his head and forced his head back to stare down at him with unseeing eyes again. She heard him gulp with sudden apprehension, but that faded quickly into lust when she growled, "You've had enough fun for now. It's time to get to work."

Not releasing him, she slowly lowered herself until her other questing hand found his twitching member. She squatted a little lower and positioned him at her entrance, then dropped down onto him completely and without warning.

She bit her lip to keep from crying out, but couldn't stop the tears welling in her eyes. Infinitely gently, Aang kissed the salty water away, holding his lover tight against him until she was able to relax again. "Are you OK?" he asked at last, and she was a moment responding.

"I... I think so. I should have known before it'd would be a tight fit. Is it like this for everyone?"

Like her, he hesitated before responding, fighting as hard as he could to resist the instinct urging him to start moving, to start pumping into her before she was ready. "I think so. At least the first time. It's a little surprising for us, but it doesn't hurt. I'm sorry."

She shook her head and the coarse black hair flew out behind them in the wind as they flew onward into the night, "It's not your fault. You tried to be gentle and I wouldn't let you. Blame the Earthbender for taking the blunt route."

She smiled and he grinned with her. After another moment, she sat up straight astride him again, and placed both her palms on his chest. She took a deep breath and rose up a few inches, and finding it wasn't too bad, came back down slowly, then began increasing the pace.

Aang's gaze was finding it hard to settle on one place. Between their legs, where their bodies joined, was certainly an appealing sight. He could see the veins in his penis stand out clearly, could see the curly black hair between Toph's legs spring back with each rise, only to be crushed between them again each time she came back down. Or on her chest, her breasts had developed an almost hypnotic sway, each nipple bouncing in unison, about a half-second behind the rest of his love. Or her face, with that odd mixture of utter, relaxed bliss, and the echoes of pain she would be feeling for days. Unable to choose, his eyes flew from one sight to another, and then his hands joined them, first clutching and squeezing her breasts, fondling her again before his attention was drawn to her pale face shining in the moonlight. He then wrapped one hand around the back of her head, tangling his fingers into her hair, and the other cupped her jawbone, forcing her head down to engage him in a passionate kiss.

When he pulled her forward, Toph's movement suddenly shifted from up and down, in and out, to forward, backward, grinding the sensitive bundle of nerves against her lover's skin, eliciting another throaty groan. Unwilling to let her stay in control any longer, Aang leaned forward, forcing her weight onto the arm behind her head, and laid her gently back onto the mattress beneath them. Still inside her, he had to withdraw for a moment to get into position, but had no problem guiding himself where he wanted to go. The moist hole parted for him at once, drawing another sharp inhalation of breath from the woman below him. He could feel the sweat on himself building, and could see it gathering on her as well, but it didn't matter. He could tell she was almost done as easily as he knew he was, too.

He leaned his whole body over her after he'd pushed himself all the way inside and bent his head to claim her mouth with his own again, then whispered softly, "I really do love you, Toph. I can't believe it took me so long to realize it."

She didn't say anything, but smiled the happiest smile he'd seen in a long time, and began moving her hips, urging him to continue.

Minutes later, both panting, Toph's back arched again and she let out a choked scream just as, with a heavy grunt, Aang released himself inside of her.

The next morning dawned to find the two shivering, even wrapped tightly around each other. Momo was scrabbling in the remains of Aang's pants looking for something to eat, and Appa was breathing heavily, a sure sign that he was tiring at last. He could go for days without stopping now, carrying just two people, but it was still hard on him. Disentangling himself from his fianceė carefully, the Avatar stood up and began hunting around for another pair of pants and something for Toph to wear. After he'd found something for them both he returned to his usual spot on Appa's head and gave the great bison a little pat, "Don't worry buddy, we're almost there. See that line? That's the Crescent Island, it's just a little ways further to Zuko's palace."

The beast gave a low rumble, and Toph woke at last.

"Aang?"

"Up here, Toph," he called, jumping backwards to land at her side.

"I found something for you to wear. Sorry about your gown, I know you liked it."

That brought back memories of last night, memories she hoped she'd never forget. Suddenly shy with the knowledge of what they'd done, she turned a little pink and clutched the remains of the gown to herself while he thrust the dress into her hands.

"It's one of Suki's old things, I think. It's got Earth Kingdom colors, at least, but it's a really nice robe. I don't think I've ever seen it before."

That told her what it was. She'd smuggled it out of her parent's house on their last visit, and had kept it hidden ever since. One never knew when one would need a traditional Earth Kingdom wedding dress, after all.


	8. Chapter 13: Proof, after a fashion

**Chap. 13 Old friends change, too**

"There it is, Appa! You can rest in a few more minutes," Aang informed the bison cheerfully an hour later, then hopped back towards Toph. "You having a little trouble?" he asked, concerned. She was still only half dressed.

"No," she grunted stubbornly, twisted around as far as she could go, trying to grab a stray strand of silk and pull it around her. She'd underestimated how complicated the dress was, and she'd only succeeded in putting on the innermost layers in the hour since he'd handed her the outfit.

"Are you sure? I don't mind helping-"

"I'm fine!" she snapped, and he fell back, visibly hurt. To her relief, he didn't take off and leave her this time, but merely took a step back and sat down on the bench lining the saddle.

With a sigh, she gave up a minute later and stepped toward him, turning her back toward him, "I'm sorry. I've just been frustrated with this dress, it's... complicated. Can you hand me the strap, please?"

Once she had it she tied it quickly in front and stepped back across the saddle to find the obi. Wearing the whole thing wasn't worth it. She was covered, and didn't care much what she looked like aside from that.

"Is something wrong?" Aang asked as she finished wrapping the wide belt around her waist and began to tie it behind her. It had taken her years to learn the wide bow that women usually wore. One of the benefits of not being able to see it, she supposed.

"No... at least, I don't think so. I'm sorry I snapped at you," she answered, finishing the bow and gathering up the rest by feel, then putting it back into the storage space the Avatar had pulled it from. "I'm just moody all of a sudden. And I'm sore, too."

Concerned, Aang put one arm around her shoulders and with the other, took hold of her hand, pulling her towards him. "I knew we should have waited. I'm sorry... I didn't want to hurt you." His voice was low, sad.

Toph shook her head against his shoulder and said back, "No... it would hurt anyway. It will heal, sooner or later. Until then, it's just pain. I've been hurt before. Besides, you know how stubborn I am. I wouldn't have taken no for an answer," grinning at the last.

The Sky Bison descended the last few meters into the magnificent courtyard of the Fire Lord's private home. It wasn't as opulent as the official palace, but Zuko had told them in his last letter than he much preferred it. Living in exile for three years had taught him to enjoy a simple life. But what he called simple was what Aang called amazing. Frescoes, painted red and gold, adorned each wall. The eaves of the steeply slanted roof were a deep, dark red, and the exterior walls a mixture of white and a sunny yellow.

"I can't believe Mei let him paint it yellow," Aang snickered quietly to Toph as the few people in the courtyard scurried either toward them in greeting, or away to alert the Fire Lord that his friends had arrived. She grinned, taking his hand in her own, she accepted his help off of the white-furred beast, wincing just once as she stepped onto the hard cobbled ground.

"Avatar! Toph!"

_Who...? Was that... Ty Lee? No!_

Racing ahead of the gathering crowd was a small girl with black hair, amber eyes, and a huge smile on her laughing face. A couple members of the crowd attempted to catch her as she ran past, but the laughing girl was too quick for them.

The bundle of energy crashed into both Toph and Aang, wrapping one small arm around each's leg, screaming, "Daddy! Daddy! I found your friends first!"

The two young adults looked at each other (or toward each other in Toph's case), eyebrows raised. _Daddy?_

"That's enough, Kendra. Leave the Avatar alone. He's far too important for a brat like you to be hugging," a deep, rasping voice said with a tiny lisp. Aang's face swiftly turned from shock to delight when he spotted the tall, broad-shouldered man stepping out of the crowd. Toph smiled when she recognized his voice as well, and rushed forward to crush him into a hug, which he returned hesitantly.

"My friends, it's very good to see you," the Fire Lord said, "I'm glad you've finally arrived. Would you object if we held a small feast to celebrate your arrival? Or would you prefer a quieter affair?"

Aang said nothing, waiting for Toph to answer for them both as he walked toward them, the girl now clutching tightly to one leg with both arms, giggling the whole while.

"I... I don't mean to be rude," the Earthbender answered when it became clear Aang was waiting for yer, "but I am rather tired, and a small gathering would be appreciated tonight. Tomorrow I believe I'll be up for something more extravagant if you would like."

"Tomorrow it is then," Zuko said, his scarred face twisting into a half-smile, "the chef will appreciate that, we weren't expecting you until tomorrow anyway. Come, come inside, Mei's waiting to see you too." As Aang reached his nemesis-turned-friend, the man, who was much bigger than Aang remembered, swept his daughter up under one arm, carrying her like a sack of potatoes, and clapped the other across the Avatar's back. Pushing through the crowd, Toph at their heels, he said in a low voice, "There's something I'd like to ask the two of you about, as well. So is it all right with the two of you if it's just you, me, Mei, and Kendra tonight?"

Once again, Aang glanced back at Toph before answering. She smiled, nodding, and he said, "Sure. There's something I need to tell you, too."

They were kneeling around a small, now crowded, table deep in the home that evening. Much to Toph and Aang's displeasure, Zuko had insisted that they spend the majority of the day being greeted by various nobles and other important members of the new Fire Nation. Following Ozai's defeat, Zuko had immediately taken charge, and relying heavily upon the advice of his uncle Iroh, the Dragon of the West, and his then-girlfriend Mei, had effectively used his position both as one of the strongest Firebenders in the world and the new Fire Lord to cast down many of the older, more powerful noble families, raising up newer, less stagnant and corrupt houses in their place. In fact, the only noble houses he had left in positions of authority were those of his mother Ursa, Mei's, and their friend Ty Lee's. There had been conflict, of course, but by and large the vast majority of the Fire Nation was just as tired of the war and everything to do with it as the outside world, and had been glad of the change.

"Mei should be here any moment," Zuko said into the awkward silence. He definitely considered his guests friends, outside of Mei and maybe Ty Lee, his two best friends. But they still hadn't seen each other in six years. They hadn't been there for his wedding, for the birth of his daughter. He was sure that was part of it.

The Avatar and Earthbender each nodded, and the perceptive Zuko didn't miss the girl's hand creeping across the floor to take Aang's in her own. He stifled a smile, thinking it was about time. The kid had earned something good, and of all the Avatar's old companions, he believed the Earthbender was most worthy of respect. And that included himself. At last, he heard the door to his right whisper open, and his tall, graceful, stunning wife waddled in. _No, not waddled. Stepped gracefully. No more sleeping on the couch._ He stood at once, swiftly moving toward her and taking one hand in his, resting the other in the small of her back. She smiled slowly and continued moving toward the table, her eyes focused with hunger on the array lain across it.

Toph felt the Avatar glance toward her again and she returned it, then gave a tiny shrug. The woman had been tall last time they had seen her, tall and slender, like a dancer. But her belly was huge. With as much tact as he could muster, Aang greeted the newcomer with a smile and genuine warmth, "Fire Lady Mei, it's truly a pleasure to see you. And congratulations to you both."

Finally noticing they had company at last, the woman started and looked up from the food to see the two sitting across the table. For a moment, there was no other reaction. Then with a surprising burst of speed in such an obviously-pregnant woman, she closed the last few feet in an instant and reached across the narrow table to engulf both of the in a powerful hug.

A little embarrassed by the sudden affection from a woman she hardly knew, Toph smiled wanly and patted her back gently, trying to be patient, hoping she'd let go soon. Aang struggled to breathe, but returned the hug with a little more enthusiasm.

"Zuko didn't tell me you'd arrived," she said after letting them go and sinking into her own padded place at the table. "When did you get here?"

Aang spotted the Fire Lord shaking his head vigorously, mouthing, "Don't tell her", but Toph could see no such thing. "This morning, a couple hours after dawn."

The glare that Mei shot toward her husband would have sent a lesser man screaming in fear, but Zuko was made of stern stuff, and had faced down his own crazy sister in a duel that would be famous for centuries. As it is, he only shrunk to about half his normal size and hunched over, unwilling to meet her gaze. "I'm sorry, I didn't want to bother you with the trivial things," he mumbled, but only Toph's excellent hearing heard him clearly.

"You didn't want to upset her?" asked Toph, puzzled, "Why would it bother her that we were here?" She and Aang both looked from Mei to Zuko and back again, but it was little Kendra who answered. She'd been sitting in silence for so long that the travelers had forgotten she was there.

"Mommy's jealous of Daddy's old friends."

The meal was eaten in silence from then on, the four adults occasionally glancing at each other, but none saying a word. The sun had gone down, and true darkness fallen outside, when Mei, the last one to still be eating, stood up slowly. Zuko attempted to help her rise, but was halted by another glare. She stalked back out the door she'd entered from in a huff, Zuko, almost looking lost, trailing after her. At the door, he turned and said quietly, "I hate to burden you, but could you keep an eye on Kendra for a little while? My uncle is supposed to be watching her later tonight... I really need to keep an eye on Mei. She's very close, and so angry... well..." without waiting for an answer, the slipped out of the dining room and into the dark hallway after his wife.

"So," the little girl said after a few more minutes' silence, "Do you guys want to play a game?"

The little one, it turned out, had been regaled for her entire life with stories of the Avatar and his friend's wild adventures, from both before and after her fathered had joined them. They were in the middle of a game called "hot rock", wherein an object heated by Firebending was passed between the group in a circle until someone either dropped it because they were clumsy, or because it had been made to hot. The players were technically only allowed to handle the rock with fire, the child had informed them while waving one finger at them, but since Toph was so pretty she could be forgiven for not being a Firebender, and would be allowed to play without heating the rock if she only used one hand. Blushing at the compliment, Toph agreed to play even though she claimed games had never been 'her thing' growing up.

While Aang occasionally let the girl win on purpose, Toph took to the game with a vengeance, ruthlessly pushing the rock using Earthbending toward the young girl whenever it came toward her, grinning all the while.

"Where's my grand niece?" a grouchy old voice called from out in the hall, and the dark-haired girl dropped the rock, still glowing red, onto the carpet in her rush to reach the door. Smiling, Aang doused it with a glass of water from the table and picked it up, still steaming. Unfortunately, not even the Avatar could repair the hole burnt into the carpet.

"Ah, there she is!" the old man called, all the grouch gone from his voice. They heard the girl squealing in the hall, it was evident she was being tickled mercilessly. The pair smiled at each other, now both knowing who was out there.

Gasping for breath, the young girl finally got out, "Uncle Iroh, Uncle Iron! Guess who's here? It's the _Avatar and his girlfriend!_"

"Whaaaaat?"

The old man threw the door open with a crash, his bulky form filling it completely. Iroh had obviously gotten older. His hair was no longer silver, but pure white, and almost down to his waist. The muscle he'd gotten back during his stay in the Fire Nation's prison hadn't left him completely, but it was evident that the man had soon returned to his easygoing, tea-drinking lifestyle soon after they'd last seen him on the day the previous Fire Lord fell.

The old man looked at each of them for a few seconds, then croaked, "Avatar. Lady Toph. I'm so happy to see-"

He was interrupted by a deafening scream.


	9. Chapter 14: Old friends change, too

**Chap. 14 The reason why**

The finally honed instincts of all three of the adults spurred them to action at once, racing toward the suite where the horrific sound had come from. They turned a corner into a main hall, and a door ahead of them burst open, spilling out Zuko. Aang had never seen him look so scared, so terrified. His panicked gaze swept up the passageway, and when the saw the three, he yelled out, "Uncle! Avatar! It's time! Please, go get the doctor and midwife!"

Iroh stopped at the door, panting. He wouldn't make another run back through the house, but Aang asked, also a little breathless, "Where?"

Zuko relayed instructions as quickly as he could, and without hesitating, Aang tore back down the hallway and out of sight, a tremendous burst of wind pushing him along. Zuko beckoned the two into the suite, and Iroh followed without hesitation, but Toph, know really sure he'd meant to include her, hung outside the door until it swung shut behind the men.

With a sigh, she leaned against the wall opposite the mahogany door and folded her arms. One of the few times she cursed her hearing was when she heard suffering, and could do nothing about it. She could hear all five heartbeats in the room. Mei, Zuko, Iroh, and the soon-to-be twins. But she couldn't help them. She hadn't known any of the things Katara had done that day she'd delivered the refugee's child, Hope. All she'd been able to do was make a big earth tent, and listen to the woman scream, Katara cheering her on the whole time.

It was frustrating. And where was Aang? She could hear the men in the other room swiftly entering panic mode, and even Mei, who the Earthbender remembered as being constantly in control and almost bored with life, was screeching instructions, mostly unintelligibly. There were feet coming down the other hall at a run, but it was just one pair, and too light even for Aang.

"Toph? Is my mommy gonna be aright?" the little girl said as soon as she'd turned into the hall.

The Earthbender turned towards her and knelt down, putting her arms out. The girl ran toward her with a worried smile, and Toph lifted her up when she stood again, holding her tight as she whispered, "Your momma's going to be just fine, sweetie. She's strong, and brave. And your little brother and sister are strong, too."

She hadn't meant to say it, but the girl's eyes were wide, glistening with a mixture of fear and happy tears when she whispered back, "I get a sister _and_ a brother? Oh well... I guess I can play with two of them, but mommy and daddy will have to get toys for them too, I can't share them all."

"I'm sure they will, sweetie. Your dad and mom are nice, and they love you very much." Reassured, Kendra put her head on Toph's shoulder and lay still. She had thought the child was asleep, but the looked up when Toph turned toward the other hall, hearing Aang approach with three other people.

"In here, in here, hurry! Zuk- the Fire Lord said he needed you at once!" Aang said, almost pulling the thin old woman over in his haste to reach them.

"Iroh and Zuko are with her," Toph said when they'd approached, "Should I keep Kendra out here?"

"I want to see mommy," the girl said sleepily, and the old woman answered, "It would probably be best, at least for now. There are sometimes complications when a mother is as far along as Mei has borne her child."

Toph nodded, and Aang took up a position sitting next to her in the hall, assuming his meditation pose and trying to control his breathing. She smiled when she realized just how nervous she was. Sitting down beside him, Kendra crawled over onto his lap, squirming to get underneath his tattooed arms. Aang didn't react to her as she crawled in, but once she was sitting still he pulled his arms in a little, holding the child close.

Hours passed, the door opposite the hall opened many times. Mei's parents came in, and her father left for a short while, and many others, mostly doctors or household staff, bustled in and out as well. Through it all, Aang sat patiently, even when the amber-eyed child crawled onto his shoulders, then down again, back up, and jumped over onto Toph's. The Earthbender, however, was having a much harder time staying calm. True, she hadn't had much experience with childbirth. Her own hardly counted, and she hadn't done much the other time at all. But this seemed like it was taking too long, even with twins to deliver.

Then the screaming, which had been growing quieter and less frequent for the last few minutes, stopped suddenly, and Toph jumped to her feet. The door opened almost at once, and Iroh called out, "Avatar Aang, Toph, we need you. Mei is bleeding far more than our doctors can handle. Can you do anything for her?"

The old man's face was extremely pale, and Aang couldn't help but see that his own hands were bloody. With a gust of wind, Aang was past the fat old man, but Toph took a moment to reassure the child, "Don't worry, Kendra. Aang's a good healer, he heals me all the time when I get hurt. He can help your mom too, so don't cry, OK?"

The child nodded, fighting hard to hold back her tears. A nurse came out of the room to watch the child, and she followed Iroh into the busy room.

On the left, four nurses were taking care of two tiny bundles. On the right, three doctors, Iroh, and Zuko surrounded the almost unconscious form of Mei. Aang crossed over to her at once, pulling Toph behind him. The doctors made room for them, but Iroh and Zuko, each clutching one of the woman's small hands in their larger ones, didn't move. Mei was speaking to Zuko, but Aang had no idea what she was saying. One of the younger doctors, a male, asked quietly, "Avatar, if there's anything you can do for her, please do it," then bringing his head close and continuing in an undertone, "We have done everything we can, but the tear is too deep inside, and she is bleeding more rapidly than we could hope to contain. There's nothing we can do for her."

Aang nodded, looking lost. "I... I can heal her, maybe, but... I don't know where."

The glimmer of hope got Zuko's attention at last, and his golden eyes flashed toward the Avatar. "You can heal? I thought only the most powerful Waterbenders could do that. Like Katara."

Aang nodded and answered, "I learned a little watching her, and picked it up from other water benders we've seen since the war. I'm no master, but I should be able to help. I just... I don't know where the wound is."

More desperate than Aang had ever seen him, Zuko pleaded quietly, "Please, Aang. I can't lose her."

Nodding, the young man stepped forward, trying to release Toph's hand, but she held on tightly. "I can guide you. Step back, everyone. In fact, it would be best if you took the children to another room."

They looked surprised, and turned toward the Fire Lord for instructions. He nodded once, and all but Zuko and Iroh fled the room, taking the newborns with them. Toph could hear them bringing Kendra along as well.

Stepping forward now, Toph began to beat a steady rhythm with her feet, causing echoes to flood the chamber. Aang looked once toward Zuko, who gave another teary nod, then stepped between Mei's legs and raised the blanket between them, holding out his one free hand. The water in one of the basins flowed toward him and began to glow with a blue, pearly light.

The tall woman's breath was becoming even more labored, her skin dangerously pale, and Zuko looked close to collapse himself. But still, Toph continued to pound on the floor, occasionally calling out directions to Aang, but never once releasing his hand.

"It's... I've done all I can. I think she'll be OK," Aang said later, completely exhausted. To his right, Toph stopped her stomping and swayed on her feet until he reached out a steadying hand. Mei had been unconscious now for over an hour, but Aang insisted that was a good sign, that she could use the rest. Iroh slumped down into a waiting chair, but Zuko remained on his feet, thought he was looking more than a little exhausted himself.

"Thank you, Avatar," he said quietly, closing his eyes, not bothering to hide the tears leaking from them.

"Don't mention it," the young man replied, then slowly, using Waterbending, did what he could to begin cleaning the blood from himself, from Mei, the bed, and the floor. Weak-kneed, Toph simply stood there for a few minutes before walking slowly toward the door, calling out, "I'm going to get Kendra and the doctors."

The child tried climbing onto her mother's bed at once, but Zuko grabbed her, holding her tight before she'd gotten a leg up onto it. Mei was still asleep, Aang cleaning, and Iroh looked like he'd fallen asleep in the few minutes Toph had been gone as well. The doctors and nurses swarmed into the room, two of them still carrying the now-wrapped bundles with the quiet, rapid hearts.

After Zuko had explained, as well as he could, what had happened and reassured his daughter that Mei would be just fine when she woke up, the nurses presented the Fire Lord with his new children. Even less ashamed than before, Zuko wept, not from fear or anger, but from joy.

**A/N: Sorry about the relatively short chapters on some of these. Real life sucks. I'll go back to double/longer chapters as soon as I can. Not sure yet if I'll continue this as another story (sequel) all together, or just let it ramble on until the whole story's told. We'll see. But this is the end of 'book 1' either way.**

_**A/N 2:**_** I have decided to continue this as a second story. Updates may be infrequent, may not be. I wrote most of the previous story in a day, only writing the last two chapters on another day, and I'm still sick, so I may finish another 10+ chapters today. We'll see. Haven't got a title, just look for my name. Oh, and thanks for the great reviews. You know who you are.  
**


	10. Petition End Tyranny Nao!

First, apologies to all who thought their favorite stories were being uploaded- not quite yet. I'm working on them still, of course, but this is something I feel can't wait for an A/N. I never thought I'd be doing this instead of a chapter, but... desperate times and all that.

A personal note:

The below petition is not my creation, but I wish I'd thought of it. As many of you readers are no doubt aware, there has been a recent crackdown on lemons on Ffnet, a site many of us know and love. Now, I am fully aware that lemons violate the ToS. I've known it since before I wrote my first fanfiction, and since before I posted it- here. That being said, lemons in fanfiction have been around a long time. Longer than this site has. Longer than I've been alive, and I'm one of the older ones that frequent the site (but by no means the oldest).

However, I willfully violated the ToS in that regard (with a lemon) for one reason. It may not be 'the right reason', it may not even be a good one, but to me, as an author and creator (because as the author of this petition said, we _are_ the creators of our own original plots, events, characters, and works and we own them legally just as the canon authors own their own works), it is enough.

To me, a lemon can make a good story better. Yes, it can also make a good story (or a bad story) worse. However, do you cut off your arm because it is scratched, or even mauled? No, you get it treated.

Expecting us, as authors, to cut off a piece of our creations because someone, somewhere, in the faceless, anonymous masses of _everyone_ was offended? Just... no. I won't stand for it. If Fanfiction (dot) net is willing to kowtow to a few vocal people, then I say the vocal _masses_ stand up and make _their_ voices heard.  
Personally, I have long wished for an anti-yaoi filter. Regardless of all arguments, it's not something I enjoy reading and wouldn't even skim through if I had my choice (think how much easier your searching for a new story would be either with or without that alone!).

Adding another rating- the below-mentioned "MA" is perfectly servicable, though I'd choose something different so there isn't any confusion with "M" (X has rather negative connotations, but would also serve just fine given the nature of what we're talking about).

These are just simple corrections that would take (and I know enough of coding to be sure this is accurate) a few man-hours to do, and a few more to check it doesn't mess anything else up. In all honesty, it should take seconds.  
And yes, instead, countless man-hours are devoted to deleting other's creations, often the only copy of said creation in the world? I don't think that's right at all. It doesn't even make _sense_, because so much man-power and man-hours are being wasted when another fix is so easy.

The last suggestion is even better- a (still free) but age-verified membership, where lemons (or other graphic stories that may well pass beyond accepted 'M' ratings) are allowed? Seriously, why _not_? Is there a good reason? I can't think of any.

And to the people running Ffnet- whether a corporation, a few individuals, or whatever- I know I'm not alone when I say that making the wrong choice here not only _can_, but it _will_ cost you the entire reason for the site's success. I don't expect you to turn your site- which I have always, until now (and I still do in most ways) respected- into another "AdultFanFiction" site. But in the end, isn't this site about the fans?

-InfiniteDragon

If you care please copy, sign and post this.

Petition:

I, along with many, have been writing and posting on your fine site for years now, some of the better examples of up and coming writers out there are now suddenly finding some of the stories we've come to love at risk of being removed without the chance to even rectify our errors.

For some, that means the permanent loss of a story. While I don't have anything that (I believe) violates your terms of use, there are those out there that are never able to recover a story in it's original form, this is something that I find to be almost worthy of a legal action, as while we cannot claim ownership of a character, the stories are OURS and simply destroying them is something that is inexcusable.

It's quite easy to simply add an MA rating, additional filters or even a simple requirement for a free membership to read the stories presented here, and would cut down on hateful anonymous reviews and posts at the same time, so I have to question as to why such a thing, in all this time, simply wasn't added.

If you're worried about falsification of a registration then have an appropriate disclaimer and then there can be no dispute, you took your steps and the PARENTS didn't monitor their children, if that is even your concern. If it is more of a personal view or desire then please at least let people know and give them a chance to remove a story that you and yours find offensive, most people on the site are actually rather cordial when it comes to such requests.

While I cannot say for sure if this letter will even reach those that may be willing to listen, of if it's more akin to a wide spectrum purge in preparation for something bigger, please understand that you are going to be losing a LARGE number of your writers, and thus your income from a lack of readers if there is not some level of action taken to help with this situation.

For those that may agree with this, please feel free to sign on and send this to the support server, maybe we can get some movement on this.

(Personal: I was led to believe this was a site for the fans. Meaning we can upload any kind of material, as long as it stuck to the criteria given to us before an upload. Or instead of simply getting rid of pretty much the best stories on the site, LIMIT the amount of yaoi on the site. Or at the very least have its own place in the filters )

Forum. Fanfiction topic/111772/63683250/1/#63698621

Psudocode_Samurai

Rocketman1728

dracohalo117

VFSNAKE

Agato the Vemon Host

Jay Frost

SamCrow

Blood Brandy

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I'm Yu

Define Incompetent

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lord Martiya Umashido

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Idiote

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Erebus of the Banat

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Xefix

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XKhaosXKyuubiX

Jay-Jay12393

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Alistor

InfiniteDragon


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